Five Years with You
by FriendLey
Summary: So, we got like five scenes of pepperony, a glimpse of what those five happy years together might have been like. This is going to be a series of one-shots about moments during those five years. I hope I finish this.
1. Waiting

**Summary: Pepper waits for Tony to wake up. **

**Genre: T**

* * *

Five hours after Tony came back, Pepper watched him sleep.

It had taken a moment for her to garner the courage to touch him properly—to put her palm against his cheek, to brush strands of hair out of his eyes, to hold his hand, to squeeze it—without fearing that he'd crumble into dust the same way her assistant did right when the Decimation happened.

But she had managed to touch him in the end.

It was his feet that she touched first as she stood over the foot of his bed with Rhodey sitting on the chair beside Tony. It seemed to Pepper that his feet felt awfully cold despite being covered in a blanket, reminding her not only of the fact that he spent 22 days in the vast, cold space where stars resided, but also of just how close to death's door he was.

He was gaunt and pale too, no doubt from the dehydration and starvation. There was an IV on his arm, his skin was almost see-through and yet the doctors had difficulty finding a suitable vein to stick a needle into. His arms were almost the same size as her own.

At that thought, Pepper's hands left Tony's feet and went up around her arms, hugging herself for a semblance of comfort.

Rhodey looked up at the movement and rose. He came over to Pepper, draped an arm around her back, and instantly Pepper buried her face against his chest.

He was home. He was alive but, oh, God, at what cost?

Her entire body shook as she finally cried, tears of relief and joy spilling out of her. Rhodey kept his hand on her back, rubbing it as she allowed herself to weep—something she had refused to do until now… until Tony returned to her.

Later, when Rhodey and the others who came to visit had gone, she sat on the chair beside Tony's bed and continued her vigil.

…

The wait was incredibly long. Rhodey and Bruce came at around 3 in the morning, telling her to get some rest while they took over the watch. It wasn't really needed since FRIDAY was watching Tony and there were nurses on-call, but they thought she'd feel better if they were around.

But Pepper shook her head, holding on to Tony's hand. "I want to be here when he wakes up." _I want to make sure this isn't a dream, _she thought.

"We'll call you when he does, Pepper," Bruce offered.

Pepper gripped Tony's hand tighter, afraid he'll disappear or she will. She fixed his gaze on him. She bit back the desire to say that the last time she left him with Bruce, Tony had ended up in space.

She settled for "No, I can't. I won't… I have clothes here. I'm staying."

Rhodey took Bruce's arm and shook his head subtly.

Pepper heard them leave the room. It was only then that she let go of the breath she held and the hand she gripped like a lifeline.

…

Nebula came some time later, when she thought Pepper was asleep. But Pepper didn't sleep. Not really. She lay on the cot beside Tony's bed, listening to the heart monitor go, listening to Tony's breathing.

Nebula didn't say anything. She simply stood at a corner and watched.

Pepper found her presence comforting, a balm. Nebula brought Tony back alive, fixed his wound, even gave him her share of what meager provisions they had on board the ship.

She would make sure nothing happened to Tony… and slowly Pepper succumbed to sleep.

…

On the twenty-third day since Thanos attacked, Tony woke up, eyes wild at his new surroundings. Pepper jolted awake at the sound of the heart rate monitor. Not sparing a moment to even feel relief that Tony had finally opened his eyes, she flew out of her seat and grabbed Tony's hands, calming him.

"Tony! You're back. You're safe. You're on Earth. You're safe!" His heart was still racing but his eyes had settled on hers and she fought back tears as she continued, "You're in the compound. Carol saved you, brought the ship back here. It's only been a day since you came back. This is real. _I'm_ real." She pressed his hand to her chest. "This isn't a dream."

Hurried footsteps came and Pepper looked over her shoulder to see the remaining Avengers watching from the glass. She shot them a look; Tony didn't need them watching like he was in an aquarium. Thankfully, Rhodey herded them all away, leaving only Happy standing outside.

Pepper helped Tony sit up, his limbs shaking as he strained. She moved to fix his blanket but he caught her hand and Pepper froze.

She turned to face him, hand going to his cheek. He needed a shave but that could wait.

Tony turned his head, his dry lips catching her wrist and planting a kiss there. Her hand moved to his chest.

"We are getting married as soon as you're back on your feet," she said to him, half-kidding, half not.

Tony nodded curtly and then swallowed. "No more decoy dates?" he whispered, his voice a little hoarse.

Pepper shook her head. "And you'll wear the proper suit this time."

He had the audacity to grin and say, "Can it still be red and gold, though?"

Pepper snorted a laugh and kissed his temple in reply.

…

It didn't take long for Tony to begin complaining about being stuck in a bed and eating "crappy food." In fact, it only took about an hour.

His voice had returned to its normal state and he made sure everyone knew it by begging anybody who came to see him for a cheeseburger.

Pepper had gotten out of the bathroom just in time to hear Happy tell Tony, "You're not the boss of me. _She's _the boss of me. Pepper, tell Tony he's not the boss of me."

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the two. It was nice to see the two of them back to snapping at each other.

"I emailed everyone in this compound a list of things you're allowed to eat. Cheese, burger, and cheeseburger are not on the list."

Tony cursed under his breath. "Then tell me you got something in store for me. I'm sick of being stuck on this bed watching Downton Abbey reruns."

Happy gasped at the insult.

Taking her bag and giving Tony a kiss, Pepper said, "I know you just got back but there's something I need to do at the office. I'll be back in a few hours. If you're good, Nat can take you on a wheelchair ride."

Tony grumbled something under his breath.

Pepper raised a brow. "What was that?"

"Nothing. I love you. Bye, bye."

"I thought so. I love you. Bye!"

Pepper left the room with Hogan yelling a quick teasing "I love you too," to Tony.

…

"So, it's… It's really true, Miss Potts?" Mandy was a timid, shy little thing. With good reason. She was a new hire, barely 6 months on the job when Pepper had plucked her out of administration to become her new assistant. She never would have guessed she'd end up directly working for the CEO of Stark Industries… then again, she never expected all her bosses to vanish either.

She clutched at the sheet of paper in her hands, a memo to be filed in the room where all hard copies were filed. A memo that said superhero Tony Stark had returned and was in recovery, a memo that brought not only news, but hope along with it.

If anyone could stop this nightmare, it'd be Iron Man… right?

The acting COO stood grim-faced beside the shaking assistant. "He's going to fix this, right? Now that he's back?"

"Are they going to get the son-of-a-bitch that did it?" asked the CFO.

Pepper sighed, rising to her feet. "Mr. Stark is alive and currently on bed rest. If anyone asks, we are thankful and relieved that he has returned. In the meantime, we should focus on our pending projects, the funerals being on the topmost list."

Knowing a dismissal when they heard one, they all nodded and exited the office.

Pepper sat back down, shoulders hunched as she stared at the screen in front of her. Names. Numerous names to remember, to send letters to. Hundreds of employees gone, hundreds more with vanished family members and Stark Industries would take care of their funeral arrangements as stated in their employment contracts.

Hundreds…

She was lucky her own family was left untouched, still whole.

She shook her head and squared her shoulders. Time to get back to work.

...

She had only just gotten back to the compound when FRIDAY when FRIDAY alerted her that the boss had collapsed in a meeting.

"Damn it, Tony," Pepper cursed, hurrying to the elevator and punching the floor of his room. "Is he okay?"

"He's stable for now, Miss Potts."

For now.

"God, Tony."

She wasn't even gone for a whole day and he had managed to overexert himself. Or the team had. Oh, who was she kidding? Tony had probably done it to himself.

Sending curses their way, she hurried down to her parking spot and drove as quickly as she could back to the compound.

…

"I'm not sorry," was the first thing Tony said to her when he finally woke up again. "He deserved it. They all did."

Pepper agreed but she wasn't going to tell him that.

Years of pain and resentment bottled up had finally been released in one tense moment. No wonder his body couldn't take it.

She also knew that Tony didn't mean it. Or maybe he did at that moment, but Pepper knew he loved his team. He was acting like a brother who was mad at his siblings but loved them still.

Pepper folded her arms. "You're mad, I get that, but—"

"I'm not mad," snapped Tony, visibly shaking in anger. "I'm furious! This all could have been avoided if they—" He broke off, chest rising up and down as he tried to catch the breath he'd only just recovered.

Pepper's hands flew to his arm, rubbing comforting circles on the dry skin there. "Breathe, just breathe. Slowly."

"Telling me to breathe doesn't really help me breathe!" he gasped but tried nonetheless.

The grimace on his face told Pepper he hated being this weak, not when he still had so much anger inside, so much pain that needed to be let out.

When he had his breathing under control, Pepper let him drink from his cup and then said, "As soon as you're better, I'm getting you out of here. I promise."

Tony grasped her hand, clutching at it tightly. There was nothing that he wanted more than that.

"I promise," Pepper repeated.


	2. Rebuilding

**Summary: Tony rebuilds.**

**Genre: T**

* * *

The shutters of the cameras around the room went _click, click, click. _Each one storing a photo of Tony in their memory cards, a photo of him in a wheelchair, a picture of him looking _exactly_ like how the entire world felt—frail, grieving, but alive nonetheless.

And just like everybody else, no one really knew if being spared was worth it.

Tony pointed at a reporter who promptly said in a voice unsure and pleading, "So, what do we do now?"

"Move on," Tony wanted to say. Wasn't that what you did with loss? But he couldn't bring himself to say it, not when he knew there was no moving on for him. Not when Peter…

Tony shook away the thought and looked at Pepper who stood by his side, her hand on his shoulder, grounding him.

Instead of "Move on," he settled for "Rebuild."

He turned back to the reporters, each and every one of them nodding. "We rebuild. That's all we can do when tragedy strikes. We pick up the broken pieces and we try to make something else out of them, something worth living for."

He reached for Pepper's hand and squeezed it, a signal that he was done with the press conference. There would be no more answers to the questions the reporters still clamored to ask.

But among the raised voices that grew more frantic as he was rolled away, he heard one loud and clear, "What are _your _plans, Tony?"

…

The world found out exactly what his plans were when two months later, a short press release announced Tony and Pepper's marriage. It was a private court ceremony with close friends and family. Specifically just Happy Hogan, James Rhodes, and Harley Keener.

It was the best day of Tony's life since… since what happened.

…

The penthouse smelled like waffles.

Tony could already taste it in the air, imagine just how crisp it'd be. Pepper always made the best waffles. No offense to JARVIS (God rest his soul, because yes, user interfaces get a soul) or to FRIDAY and the other robots in his residence, but they just really didn't make it the way his wife did.

He could smell the waffles, stronger now, nearer and then, it appeared right before his eyes.

He looked up from the food and flashed Pepper an adoring smile. "I love you."

She handed him a fork and a knife, keeping matching ones for herself and then took a seat beside him.

"How's the farm coming along?" she asked as Tony took a slice off the waffle.

"Not a farm. A lake house," Tony corrected, showing her what he'd done so far.

Pepper cut a piece too and then studied the blueprint. "That's where the lake is, right? A little too close to the house, don't you think?"

Tony stuck the fork in his mouth and typed a few things on his tablet. "Adjusting the distance now," he said through his teeth.

"Better?"

Pepper nodded and tapped a corner, showing her the first floor.

There was a patio that led to a room labeled LIVING ROOM and right beside it STUDY. Across from it was KITCHEN and DINING AREA.

She went over to the second floor and saw BEDROOM 1, BEDROOM 2, and BEDROOM 3. She tapped the corner again and this time it showed GARAGE/WORKSHOP.

"Honey?"

Tony, with a mouth full of waffle, said, "Huh?"

"There's no lab in here. There's a workshop but there's no lab." Why was there no lab? Tony Stark? Without a lab? That was like Tony Stark without a limb.

"Yeah, no lab," Tony shrugged. "There will be no experiments in this household. I mean, I'm not going to be duplicating web-fluids anymore, am I?"

Pepper frowned. Tony had only ever worked in a lab with Peter and Bruce… and without Peter and with Bruce going off on his own to "find himself" or whatever it was he needed to come to terms with with the Hulk… Tony didn't see why he'd need a lab anymore.

"Okay," was all Pepper said.

Tony switched back to the blueprints of the second floor. "I'm thinking of putting the nursery here." He pointed at BEDROOM 3 which was the smallest of all the bedrooms. "And then just make BEDROOM 2 a guest bedroom or something. I mean, for Rhodey in case he'd visit or for Harley."

"Nursery?" Pepper smiled wryly. "You're getting way ahead of yourself. We aren't even trying."

They had agreed. They wouldn't be actively trying for a baby, at least not until their house was done.

"But we're also not not-trying." Tony turned to her, waffles and cutlery out of his mind. There was an animated shine in his eyes as he began to speak of his plans to her, "When we have a kid, and we _will _have one, I'd like him playing Legos in that room. It's nearest to ours. And in the workshop, forget learning how to hot-wire a car. He'll learn how to build one! And in the backyard right here, I'll teach him how to throw a ball and ride a bike, go camping… All the things that…" he trailed off, eyes growing sad.

"That what?" Pepper asked.

When he spoke again, his voice was soft and distant. "All the things that the kid used to do with _his_ dad... Astronomy was his favorite"

Pepper's lips curled into a small smile. Tony rarely talked about Peter and when he did, it was always about a reference to some intimate conversation they had, things only Tony knew because Peter had trusted him with the information, had seen him as a second father.

Pepper narrowed her eyes at her husband. "So, we're having a boy now?"

That was enough to draw Tony's thoughts back and he grinned, "Or Her. But I'm pretty sure it's a Him because like I said, I had a dream about him."

"About Morgan."

"Yes and he was a boy and since I'm rarely ever wrong—"

Pepper pressed her lips to his, silencing him. "We'll see."

"Do you wanna bet?" Tony said against her mouth and he could feel Pepper's lips forming a smile.

God, he loved her.

And that waffle taste.

…

Pepper waddled in the kitchen, two framed pictures in either hand. She had come from the living room, where she was unpacking the last of the boxes before announcing that they've completely moved in, when she saw them.

Was it just her or was moving-in a lot more difficult as a pregnant woman? Let her rephrase that. _Moving_ alone was difficult enough.

Tony was washing dishes in the kitchen as she walked in, a sight she never thought she'd see, but apparently living in a lake house brought out his domestic side.

Showing him the two picture frames, she asked, "Honey, where do you want these?"

Tony put away the last of the dishes and dried his hands before taking them from her.

She saw him visibly stiffen.

One of the pictures was a photograph of his dad when Howard was younger, and the other was of Tony and Peter.

Tony remembered that day. He had presented Peter with his certificate for completing his "Stark Internship" and they both laughed at the inside-joke.

"May's gonna love this!" Peter had said, chuckling.

"We should take a photo," Tony said, putting his arm around the kid and they both smiled. Unburdened, unadulterated smiles.

That was the closest thing to a hug Peter had gotten before he had stumbled in Tony's arms in Titan.

Tony started when he felt Pepper's hand on his arm. She looked worried but was trying not to show it, an attempt she failed because her body was pumping with hormones and there never seemed to be a day when she wasn't getting teary-eyed.

"I could put them back," Pepper tried to say but Tony promptly turned from her and then placed the pictures on the nearest shelf, just right above the dish-rack.

"Are you sure?" Pepper asked.

Tony adjusted the pictures, putting Peter's frame just slightly behind his dad's.

"Yeah," He took one long, last look at Peter and then turned to his wife. "This way Morgan can see her grandpa and her older brother whenever we have meals together as a family."

Pepper's lip quivered and Tony gathered her in his arms, holding her as close as was possible given her belly.

"Peter would love that very much," Pepper whispered.

Tony rested his chin on his wife's shoulder and finally let his own tears fall.


	3. Daddy's Girl

**Summary: Morgan is daddy's girl through and through.**

**Rating: T**

Morgan was a girl, it turned out. The ultrasound was pretty clear on that. But Tony never really understood the depth of just exactly what it meant to have a daughter.

Sure, he knew she'd have a vagina instead of a penis, but he had never really thought it would change anything. He loved her all the same.

His plans definitely hadn't changed; hot wiring and making a car were still pretty high on the list.

But he hadn't expected her to be Daddy's Girl.

Pepper kept saying it.

"She wants you," she would say, handing a fussy Morgan and a bottle of breast milk over to him. "She's gonna be such a daddy's girl, I can tell."

Even Rhodey and Happy said it. "She's Daddy's Girl through and through."

And Tony hated it.

He didn't want Morgan to be Daddy's Girl. If she were a boy, Tony wouldn't want him to be Daddy's Boy either.

Because being Daddy's anything meant that they took after him, right? Took after all of Tony's quirks, his anxieties, his weaknesses, every messed up thing about him.

And nobody needed that. Nobody wanted that.

Tony didn't usually dwell too much on these thoughts, but the morning started out pretty badly.

"Isn't it a little too late to watch the sun rise?" came Pepper's voice from the patio. She had probably just finished feeding Morgan her breakfast.

Tony had given the little munchkin a bath which was when he realized just how royally screwed Morgan was with him for a father.

Pepper took the empty space beside him. She was already dressed for work and was probably going to leave if Tony hadn't delayed her.

She gave him a studious look and then said, "Something happened in the bath, huh? What'd she do?"

Tony stared at the lake. "She did nothing. She was absolutely perfect."

Pepper narrowed her eyes at him. "So, you did something then."

"I brushed her hair," Tony admitted.

Pepper blinked at him. "And?"

He looked at her. "It's not red anymore, Pepper."

"Pardon?"

"Her hair! It's turning brown."

That wasn't what Pepper expected to hear. At all.

"Well, that happens, honey. It just means that she takes more after you than she does me. Daddy's Girl and all that."

"Yeah, I don't want her to!" Tony snapped. "I don't want her to be daddy's girl." Realizing he had startled his wife, he apologized and looked out to the lake again.

Pepper pressed her lips together. There were good days, great, wonderful domestic days. But there were also days like this.

"This is more than just hair color, isn't it?"

Tony nodded. After a while, he turned to Pepper and said, "I don't want her taking anything of me. When she came out with a head full of your hair, I felt so relieved because you know… it meant she was pretty safe from inheriting all the awful genes I have. It meant that she was less me and more you."

"Don't say that."

"It's true. We all know I'm not really the best combination of chromosomes."

Pepper nudged her husband at his shoulder. "I happen to like your chromosomes." That brought a small chuckle out of him. "Half of them's in Morgan and half of them would still be there even if she grew to be a redhead." She nestled beside him, taking his hand in hers. "And in case you need reminding, let me tell you that you are enough, Tony, despite all the flaws you think you have. It's unbelievable how enough you are and if Morgan inherited even just a fraction of your eyelashes or your smile… that would be enough."

"You sound like a Hamilton song."

Pepper laughed. "Yeah, well, you got me talking about it." She put a hand on his face, forcing him to look at her. "You know, being daddy's girl doesn't mean what you think it does."

"It doesn't?"

Pepper shook her head. "All it means is that she's more attached to you, Tony, and that's because she loves you, so, so, so, so much."

Tony searched her eyes for a lie he knew wasn't even there. He grinned at her. "You're a little jealous, aren't you?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Don't start."

…

"Hey, what's up Morgan?" Rhodey greeted his goddaughter, raising a fist to Morgan and saying, "Fist bump!"

The little girl repeated the words and brought her own fist to her uncle's.

"You have to stop teaching her that," Tony said to him but the look on his face said he didn't really mean it.

"What? It's cool," said Rhodey, walking away and leaving Morgan to play in her pen. "It makes me the cool uncle and it makes her the cool kid on the block."

"She's barely two years old! She needs to be focusing on fine motor skills. Fist bump? Not a fine motor skill. Not even a gross motor skill."

Rhodey settled on the living room couch and gave Tony a deadpan look. "You're reading too much parenting books."

"I'm reading early childhood development books. There's a difference."

"What?"

"The other one's more sciencey."

"Sciencey is not a word. Even my goddaughter knows that." Rhodey turned to said goddaughter. "Hey, Morgan, is sciencey a word?"

Morgan laughed and threw a block at Rhodey in response. It hit him on the head and Tony cackled.

"That's my girl!" Tony cheered, coming over to pick Morgan up. "Fist bump! Fist bump, Daddy!"

"Seriously?" cried an incredulous Rhodey. "Whatever happened to 'it's not a fine motor skill?'"

Tony grinned triumphantly at his best friend. "I lied. What was it that you used to say? 'Daddy's girl through and through?' Yeah, you can't bring her over to your side, Platypus." He kissed Morgan on the cheek. "And as a reward, I am not gonna tell Mommy that I let you throw stuff just this once."

…

"MORGAN!"

He should have told her to stay in the house while FRIDAY was upgrading.

"MORGAN!"

Oh, God, Pepper's going to kill him.

"MORGAN, WHERE ARE YOU?"

Was she even still in the house? What if she just vanished? Shit! It was happening all over again. But Thanos was—he's dead—Morgan couldn't be—Tony's eyes landed on the lake.

His heart almost stopped beating. But the fence was unopened. She couldn't have—

"Daddy, why you shouting?"

Tony turned so fast he almost got whiplash. There was his daughter, standing right outside her tent, the one they both had stayed in last night watching the stars. God, was it only last night?

Tony let out a sigh of relief and immediately hugged the toddler.

"Morgan, thank God, you're okay." He put her face between his hands and kissed her. "Don't do that again! I was so scared, honey."

"You scared?"

Tony nodded, releasing her and holding her by her arms, still quite hesitant to let her go. "Very scared."

"Why very scared?"

"Because I thought I lost you and I was never going to see you again."

Morgan frowned. She had heard a story like that before. "Like Peter?"

"Exactly like Peter."

She hugged her dad because Mommy said that if someone was scared or sad she should hug them.

"It's okay. I'm here," she whispered in her dad's ear because Mommy said to say that too.

Tony sighed. "Yes, you are." He pulled back and gave her a look. "But next time, if you want to play, you have to tell me or mommy where you're going to play, okay? Because FRIDAY's sleeping and she couldn't tell me where you were today."

Morgan thought about that for a minute. And then, she said, "Mommy and me go play in the mall later."

"Okay, yeah. Perfect. Just like that, baby." Tony hugged her again, his heartbeat still racing.

She was okay.

…

"Daddy?"

Oh, God, those eyes were going to be the death of him. Tony got down on his knees, leaned against his daughter's bed, and brushed away Morgan's bangs from her eyes.

"Yes?"

She smiled toothily at him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Tony replied ever so simply.

But to Morgan, who was only 2 years old and 7 months, it wasn't that simple.

She wrinkled her nose. "Two? Like number two?" She lifted up three fingers.

"Exactly like number two," said Tony, tucking one of the fingers down. He raised two fingers of his own. "Because I love you two times."

Morgan giggled. "I love you one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine... ten!"

Pretending to be overwhelmed, Tony clutched at his chest. "That's a lot!"

Morgan nodded, proud of herself. "I can count one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Daddy!"

"I can see that. We should start learning bigger numbers, huh?"

Her smile broke. "What's bigger numbers?"

"Well, bigger numbers mean so many, many, many, many, many I love yous."

Her eyes grew wide and she sat up, excited, "I want to learn now!"

"Tomorrow," Tony said to her, pulling her back to lie on the bed.

"Why?" she pouted and if Tony wasn't careful, she'd reel him in with those eyes.

"Because it's sleeping time and we sleep during sleeping time."

"When is numbers time?"

"Tomorrow."

"Okay."

Tony leaned in and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Good night, Morgan."

"Good night, Daddy. I love you ten."


	4. A Dad Thing

**Summary: Tony tries to do a dad thing.**

**Rating: T**

"What's our phone number?" Tony cried from his study, head bent low as he read the next item on the form. He could not for the life of him remember things as trivial as this.

"Just leave it blank," came Pepper's shout from the kitchen. "I'll have Mandy fill up the rest."

Absolutely not, Tony thought. He frowned at the blank space beside TELEPHONE NUMBER. Who still used telephones?

Deciding he'd get back to that later, he continued down the list. "Ah. 'Residential Address.' I know this one."

He wrote down his address and read the next item. "Why do they even want to know where I went to school?" he muttered. "I thought this was about Morgan, not her parents. Is this what they usually ask for in enrollment forms?"

"Almost 90% of forms for new students ask for parental details, boss," replied FRIDAY.

"'Year graduated?' Who the hell remembers that?" Tony frowned.

"Normal people."

Tony looked up as his wife walked towards him, probably to put him out of his misery.

Tony wearily stroked his jaw. "She's just enrolling in a playgroup. Why the hell do they need so much information about us?"

Pepper bit back an endearing smile. Tony had insisted on filling up Morgan's school forms instead of having her personal assistant do it because this was a "dad thing" and "Mandy's not a dad."

"Besides," he had told her , "Other dads sign their kids up to this stuff. If they can do it, I can do it better."

And now here he was, racking his brain for details he had never had to remember once in his life.

"Because. That's just how it is," Pepper told him, taking the school forms from his desk.

"'Because' is not a reason," Tony said, leaning back against his chair and taking a breather.

Pepper nodded as she read the responses he wrote down. He had tried answering most of the fields, whether they were actually accurate was another story. But he got their daughter's name right, at least.

She had to look twice at what Tony put under NICKNAME.

"We are not putting Morganator as her nickname."

"What? That's what I call her."

"At home! And as a term of endearment! But in school? Tony, she's not a terminator."

"What do I put then?"

"Just write 'Morgan.' That's her name."

"No," Tony said firmly. "She has to have a nickname. All her classmates will have one."

Typical of him to be competitive, Pepper thought.

"How about Morgana?" Tony suggested with a smile.

Pepper's eyebrows knit together. "Like The Little Mermaid villain?"

"She loves The Little Mermaid."

"Yeah, the mermaid, not the squid!"

"Well, aren't you helpful." Tony snatched the form from his wife's hands and shooed her away. "It's gonna be fine. I'm the dad. I got this."

Pepper shook her head at him, amused. He was taking this way too seriously.

"She doesn't have to have a nickname, you know."

"I disagree."

...

Tony halted right by the doorway of their bathroom.

"Hey, what do you think about 'Morgan Freeman?'"

Pepper, toothbrush in her mouth, gave him a look.

Tony nodded curtly. "Right. It's too God."

...

"Come on, Morgy!" Tony said, crouching low to his daughter's level. "Time to clean up!"

"Morgy is a dog's name," said Pepper, walking past them.

Tony huffed and called out to his wife's retreating form, "Stop being so aggressively critical! It's starting to affect my self esteem!"

...

"Iron Baby?"

...

"I got it!" Tony cried in bed one night.

Pepper didn't even bother putting her book down. He'd been spouting off nickname ideas for the past two days. Most of them were just plain awful.

She made an inquiring hum but kept her eyes on the page.

"Her nickname, she can be called Sugar!"

Well, that got her attention.

She tucked a bookmark on the page and turned to her nonsensical husband. Well-meaning, but nonsensical all the same.

She raised a brow. "Sugar? Is she a Sugar Baby?" Where did he even get that from? In fact, where did he get all his suggestions from?

Tony cringed. "What? No! Is that what—'Cause you're Pepper. And at first I thought Salt and Pepper would be adorable because you know salt and pepper, but she can't be Salt because salty's a meme now. Remember when Harley called me salty? She can't be salty. So, she's got to be Sugar. It's cute, right?"

He gave his wife a proud smile.

Pepper stared at him.

Tony's shoulder sagged, smile vanishing. "You're right. She sounds like a Sugar Baby. I can already hear all the sexual innuendos when she's older. All those wrinkly old men coming up to her and winking." He lowered his voice and imitated an elderly man,"What's up, Sugar Baby?"

With a groan, he leaned his head back on the headboard, covering his face with his hands.

Pepper patted his thigh. "I told you, she doesn't need a nickname. She's Morgan. Always have been, always will be."

Tony lifted his head. "You're right. I can still call her lots of different names at home. That's fine."

"Yeah. You can call her as many names as you want until she develops some kind of split personality disorder. She'll grow up so confused." Pepper started to laugh and Tony joined her.

"She can't even pronounce her name right!" Tony added. "'Ogan.' She can't even say the M or the R. It's so cute!"

"And Happy thinks he taught her how to say his name!"

They both laughed until tears sprung from their eyes.

"She'll be fine in the playgroup, right?" Tony asked after they caught their breath.

"Yeah and it's time she played with kids her own age."

Tony turned to Pepper slowly, a twinkle forming in his eye. "And we get more time to ourselves when she's in school." He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss against his wife's mouth.

Pepper hummed in agreement.


	5. Couple Outfits

**Summary: Tony decided it was time he and Pepper become one of those annoying couples with a couple outfit.**

**Rating: T**

"What's that?"

"Ah!" Tony cried, releasing the helmet he held in his hands. He struggled to catch it and when he did and settled it down on the table. He clutched his chest, breathing heavily.

He had been so engrossed in his work and in the secrecy it necessitated that he hadn't noticed his daughter had entered the garage.

He looked down and fixed wild eyes at his curious daughter. "You shouldn't do that!"

"Do what?" Morgan asked innocently, climbing the small step stool beside her dad. She peered at the top of the table to see what he was working on. She stroked the helmet.

"Sneak up on me!"

"Sneak up?" Morgan turned to Tony. "What's sneak up?"

"This. Right now. You're being quiet and sneaky. What are you doing up? You're supposed to be in bed."

Morgan grinned and gave her father a look of her own. "What you doing up, daddy?"

Tony's mouth twitched.

She was gonna be a smartass, he just knew.

Morgan looked back to what Tony was working on  
"What's that?" She asked again, taking the helmet in her small hands. It was shiny and silver and not unlike the one Daddy wore when he went flying. She put it over her head.

"It's a secret," said Tony, lowering his voice into a conspiratorial whisper and slowly removing the helmet. "Mommy can't know."

Morgan fixed her wide eyes at her father. "But Mommy knows everything."

Tony nodded. "She does. But she can't know about this, okay?"

Morgan nodded and began climbing down the step stool, clutching at Tony's pants to balance.

Tony watched her look around the garage and touch the occasional object that caught her eye. When she was done, she began to walk out, leaving him staring thoughtfully at her.

"You going back now?" Tony called after her. He had been hoping she'd stay and keep him company even though it was way past her bedtime.

"I go tell Mommy secret," Morgan explained, not even looking back at her dad.

Tony's eyes widened in panic. "What? Morgan!"

...

"Mommy, Daddy has secret in the garage."

Pepper bit back an amused smile.

She had been working in the study when Morgan padded up to her followed by a huffing Tony who had run to catch up to his daughter.

"Does he now?" Pepper sent a raised eyebrow in her husband's direction.

"A surprise," Tony explained, putting a hand on Morgan's shoulder in an attempt to look unified.

"Mommy can't know the surprise yet, Morgan. And since when did you start ratting me out? I thought we were a team here."

Morgan smiled at her dad. "Mommy said girls help girls."

Pepper's eyes brightened at the fact that her daughter remembered. She looked mirthfully at her husband.

"I did. I did say that."

"Well, daughters also help daddies keep surprises from their mommies." He looked pleadingly at Pepper to help him out.

Morgan turned to her mother for confirmation.

Pepper held out her arms and Morgan walked over to her.

Deciding she could help her husband just this once, Pepper said, "That's also true, Honey. If Daddy says it's a secret, you shouldn't tell anybody."

Morgan looked up at her. "Even you?"

"Uh-huh. But don't worry, it won't be a secret for long." Pepper fixed her eyes on Tony who tried not to squirm under her gaze. "Mommy always finds out."

"Come on, honey," Tony motioned at his daughter. "Let's get you back in bed."

Pepper gave Morgan a kiss on her cheek before releasing her. "Night night."

"Night, Mommy."

When Tony came back, Pepper had abandoned the office chair and settled herself on the couch.

"How much trouble am I in?" asked Tony, halting in front of his wife with his hands stuffed inside his pockets.

Pepper grinned. "Depends on how much I'm going to hate this surprise of yours." She offered her hand and Tony took it, letting Pepper pull him down beside her.

Tony fixed her an affronted look, his jaw open. "Why do you always assume my surprises are—"

"The giant rabbit?"

"Touché."

Tony adjusted himself on the couch, nestling against Pepper who ran her hand through his hair.

"Can I at least get a clue?"

Tony hummed. "It's silver."

...

Pepper had forgotten the whole secret thing come morning.

She hadn't even given it a passing thought for months...until Tony put a blindfold over her eyes and dragged her to the garage.

Pepper laughed, clutching at Tony's hands to steady herself. "I'm starting to think I know what you made me."

"Okay, stop right there and take the blindfold off when I say when."

Pepper waited, listening to the sound of Dum-E chirping excitedly in the background.

"Okay, now."

Pepper lifted the blindfold and the first thing she saw was her husband's idiotic grin, the one he wore when he was too pleased with himself. The next thing she saw was the secret.

It was silver, alright.

With some purple.

And standing upright.

And a suit of armor.

"What the hell is that?" cried a bewildered Pepper. She gaped at the armor. It was clearly a feminine version of the Iron Man suit but sleeker with curves, but still radiating that cold exterior.

Tony's satisfied grin grew even wider. "Happy anniversary! Now we can be one of those annoying couples in a couple outfit!" He crossed over to Pepper and gave her a kiss that she didn't return. "I thought it's about time you had a suit of your own."

Pepper looked at him, perplexed. "Why? Why would you think that? Why couldn't you get me a normal anniversary gift like every other husband? Like diamonds or—"

"Did you want diamonds? Because I could have the suit studded—"

"No!" Who would want a diamond studded Iron Man armor?

"Then be glad I got you a suit instead of diamonds. What did you think I got you?"

"You said silver and I thought you made me another necklace!"

"Why would I make you a necklace? You already have hundreds. A suit on the other hand—"

"I have a lot of suits," Pepper pointed out.

"Not a superhero suit."

"I'm not a superhero."

"You are a superhero."

"Don't flatter me. There's no sex in this for you."

"I'm not," Tony sighed and held Pepper by her arms. He knew this would take some convincing, which was why it was a surprise and he had spent nights secretly working in the garage.

He looked straight in her eyes and said, "Not only do you try to save the world with your job every single day, but you, my badass, beautiful wife, defeated two supervillains! Two! That makes you a superhero!"

Pepper frowned in confusion. "Villains? Who are you talking abou—"

"Stane and Killian. You blew up my enemies. Remember them?"

"Supervillains? That's what we're calling them now? What are we in a comic book?"

"My life could very well be a comic book. Speaking of, as my manager, you should look into making a comic book. Adventures of Iron Man. Invincible Iron Man. That'll sell. But we'll put that aside for later."

Tony gave his wife a studious look, let out a breath, and asked, "You really hate it?"

Pepper sighed. "I don't hate it. I also don't not hate it. It'll take some time getting used to, is all. I'm gonna need to practice."

Tony happily smiled, shrugging, "And sometimes that's all it takes. Besides, don't think I forgot how much you enjoyed feeling powerful when you fought Killian."

Pepper let a small smile grace her face as she admitted, "I was pretty powerful, wasn't I?"

Tony began to rub her arms as he stepped into her space. "Did I tell you how much I love women in positions of power?"

Pepper raised a brow. "Hmm. Why do I have a feeling that you planned this so you could see all my power positions?"

Tony chuckled, leaning in to kiss his wife, "You know me so well."

...

Pepper screamed in delight as she wrestled the football from Tony's hands. She made a sharp turn and then swooped low, down to the lake, the water rippling as she flew by.

"Has Pepper always been this competitive?" came Rhodey's voice over the comms.

"Uhh, yeah?"

"Are you boys done losing? Because—AAH!" A drone flew right beneath Pepper and then caused a mild explosion. The football flew out of her hands while Pepper got tossed in the air.

Rhodey caught the football with a triumphant yell and proceeded to fly towards one of the goalposts Tony had erected for their little training exercise.

"I got him!" Tony said, chasing after his best friend.

Rhodey narrowly avoided getting caught and shot at another drone that attempted to derail him.

"I got it!" cried Pepper who had recovered. She put her thrusters at a higher capacity.

She exclaimed in surprise at the change in speed, seeing as she had never gone that fast before. Before she knew it, she had collided with her husband and they both went down to the lake.

Seconds later, they both resurfaced, armored heads bobbing up and down the water.

Their helmets retracted revealing an exhilarated Pepper who was red in the face and a laughing Tony.

"That was fun!" she cried, swimming over to where her husband was.

"See? I told you. You're a natural. I'm so proud of you." He took her face in his hands and kissed her.

"Aw, man. You guys promised me there'd be none of that!" complained Rhodey who had witnessed his friends make out in front of him too many times to think it cute.

The couple pulled apart.

"We were here first. Get a lake."


	6. Snack Time

**Summary: Morgan takes care of the ducks. **

**Rating: T**

Morgan opened the refrigerator (an act she had recently learned how to do), the cool air washing over her small form.

She inspected the shelves, looking for what she needed.

She frowned.

The bread was much too high for her to reach and calling Mommy and Daddy for help was not an option.

There was salad, though, and milk.

She smiled.

That'll do.

With the small carton of milk in one hand and leftover salad in the other, she nudged the door closed with her hips.

"I can't do this without you," came Mommy's voice from the living room. "You need to be there."

Morgan's eyes widened and she hurried out of the kitchen before her parents saw her. She slipped out to the patio and, as quietly as she could, hurried out to the front yard.

Entering the kitchen, Pepper hadn't noticed the door slowly swing shut. She was too engrossed convincing her husband to join her at work.

"You can always charm them," said Tony, following after his wife.

Pepper went right over to the coffee machine and poured out a cup. "I can't charm them when they want you to charm them. You want any?"

"Please," said Tony, seating himself by the table. He started to fill his plate with breakfast. "It isn't even about me being there. The contract is practically signed! They just want to get a selfie with Iron Man."

Pepper placed the mug of coffee in front of him. "Yes, but they could prolong the take-over, making it very annoying for me, unless you distract them with that ridiculously attractive smile of yours."

Tony looked up at her.

"Please," Pepper said softly, trailing a hand up her husband's arm.

Tony raised a brow. "You're basically whoring me out, you know that right?"

Pepper leaned down and whispered, "I'll make it up to you."

Tony wrapped an arm around her waist and angled his head, meeting Pepper's lips.

…

Oblivious to what was happening in the kitchen, Morgan walked across the yard, determined in reaching her destination.

…

Tony pulled his wife onto his lap, his breakfast and coffee forgotten as he busied himself with her mouth.

With Morgan having turned three this year, they've only just begun to regain some alone-time together. Of course, it helped that FRIDAY kept an eye out on their little miss.

Pepper pulled away, asking, "It's a yes, right?"

"Fine."

Pepper got off his lap and to the refrigerator while Tony turned returned to his breakfast.

She frowned.

"Did you eat my salad?"

"Hmm?"

"I swore I put it in here last night. I was gonna bring it to work today."

Tony shrugged and said, "Harley must have eaten it. He left early this morning."

Pepper was about to say that Harley didn't eat salad but then there was a loud audible quack that filled the silence followed by a series of rapid quack, quack, quack.

Pepper closed the refrigerator door, locking eyes with her husband.

"They're excited today," commented Tony, rising to his feet and peering outside the windows to see what the whole commotion outside was about.

"Too excited," Pepper thoughtfully said to herself. "FRIDAY?"

"Yes, Mrs. Boss?"

Tony looked back at his wife, wondering what she was working at.

"Where's Morgan?"

Tony's eyes widened and he abandoned the windows to walk outside and find their daughter. Ever since they're daughter began walking, they've been having problems such as this.

"Outside by the greenhouse."

Pepper nodded, not at all surprised. She went out the house, hurrying after Tony who was already almost to the greenhouse, having suspected the source of the overeager quacking.

Quack, quack, quack.

The noise grew louder as they approached and it was joined by the voice of someone else.

Coming into view of the greenhouse, they saw their daughter surrounded by a flock of ducks.

"Share, baby duck," cooed Morgan, crouching over two ducklings who were fighting over a piece of lettuce. "You want milk?" She reached over to where she set the carton of milk and poured a tiny bit on the ground.

Quack, quack, quack.

"I found my salad," Pepper whispered to Tony, pointing at Morgan's lap. "Or what's left of it."

Tony smiled, shaking his head in amusement.

He and Pepper walked over to their daughter.

Crouching beside Morgan, Tony asked, "Whatcha doin' there, little miss?"

Morgan picked up one of the ducklings like she would one of her stuffed toys. "Feeding baby duck, see?" The duckling tried to get out of her small grip.

Tony immediately took the duckling from her and set it down. "We see that. But what did we say about telling Mommy and Daddy where you're going before you go play outside?"

"I'm not playing. I'm feeding. It's snack time."

Pepper sent Tony a pointed look.

Tony sighed. His daughter took after him more and more every day.

He tried again. "As long as you want to go outside, you have to tell us, okay?"

"Okay."

The response was almost automatic that Tony and Pepper knew their request really didn't get in her head.

It was a good thing FRIDAY had eyes everywhere and gave a warning as soon as her algorithm detected Morgan was in some sort of incoming danger. Maybe he should just change it to FRIDAY announcing Morgan's location every five minutes.

"Uh-huh" said Pepper, taking the almost empty box of leftover salad from Morgan's lap. "We also don't get the food from the refrigerator. That food's for us." She took the small carton of milk, grateful it was out of the ducks' reach or else she'd have to throw it out.

"But baby duck hungry," Morgan pouted, hand reaching for the salad back.

Tony patted Morgan's hand and helped her to her feet. "They eat duck food, honey. We have to use duck food."

"We'll show you what to feed the ducklings, okay?" said Pepper as they began walking back to the house.

"Get duck food?"

"Sure thing."

They were back a few minutes later having gone to retrieve the duck food and returned the stolen human food.

Morgan sat between her parents as Tony taught her how to properly hold a duck while Pepper fed the rest of them because her daughter had lost interest.

"Daddy, I want baby duck," said Morgan, stroking the duckling's breast.

"It's 'duckling,' sweetie. We call them ducklings when they're a baby."

"I want baby duckling."

"Just say 'duckling.'"

"I want duckling, Daddy."

"But you already have one." Tony pointed at the gathered flock. "In fact, you have lots! They're all yours, see? The Mommy Duck and all her ducklings and all their sisters and brothers."

Morgan set the duckling down and looked at her dad. "What's sisters and brothers?"

"Well, when Mommy and Daddy have another baby, it'll be your sister or brother."

"Like Harley?"

"More or less."

"I want a brother, Daddy."

Tony exchanged a look with Pepper who simply stared at him, as if to say he was on his own.

"We have to ask Mommy, though, 'cause she's the boss, remember?"

Pepper gaped at her husband from behind her daughter but immediately smiled when Morgan turned to look at her.

"Mommy, can I have brother, please?"

This time, Tony smiled smugly at his wife.

"I'll tell you what," said Pepper, taking both of Morgan's hands. "If you learn how to take care of the ducks, feed them the right food, and hold them properly, then Daddy and I might make you a baby brother."

Tony raised his brow at that but Pepper ignored him.

"Okay!" said Morgan, jumping to her feet. She picked up one of the ducklings and said, "Let's go, duckling. Nap time!"

She started walking back to the house, duckling in hand.

Tony frowned. "You don't think she's—"

"—gonna put it to bed? Absolutely."

"Morgan!" they both cried.


	7. Fish Happens

**Summary: Tony may be a little overenthusiastic when Morgan has her first dance presentation.**

**Rating: T**

"Tony," Pepper slowly said from her spot on the couch, in front of the fire place.

Her husband was currently pacing across from her in consternation and didn't seem to hear her call him.

She tried again. "Tony, calm down."

His stopped pacing and faced her. "Don't tell me to calm down!"

Pepper gave him a look. "It's only a presentation."

His eyes almost popped out of their sockets. _"Only a presentation?"_

Pepper sighed.

Here we go, she thought.

"She needs something to wear," said Tony, resuming his pacing.

"I already bought one," Pepper said.

Tony did a double take. "You bo—you bought one. Without consulting me?"

He looked so sincerely hurt that Pepper almost regretted not consulting him.

Almost.

Pepper raised her hands, palms facing Tony. "To be honest, I was scared you'd outdo yourself like you did for the past two Halloweens."

Tony scoffed and raised a finger to point out that "Halloween is an important holiday. She needed a costume—"

"You made her a tarantula costume!" cried Pepper, her voice rising.

"Which looked very authentic," Tony added, matching her raised tone. "You can't tell me she wasn't the perfect spider crawling around at 8 months old."

"She scared the trick-or-treaters!"

"Which was the point! It's Halloween!"

"Don't even get me started on the dinosaur suit you made her last October. Remember when she ran for a head-butt and went through the fence?"

Tony smiled at the memory. "That was one of my proudest moments. She acted like a true dinosaur."

"_This_ is why I didn't consult you and just bought her a generic, _normal _costume."

Tony gaped at his wife. "THIS IS HER FIRST DANCE PRESENTATION AT SCHOOL YOU CANT JUST BUY HER A GENERIC COSTUME."

Pepper sighed as Tony plopped on the couch beside her.

"I have to make her one. Do I even have time?" He turned to his wife. "When is it?"

"In two weeks."

"IN TWO WEEKS?"

"Could you just please consider the costume I bought?"

"Fine."

Pepper stood and left the room. She came back a few minutes later, holding a two-year-old Morgan dressed as—

"Nemo?"

"Nemo!" chirped Morgan, walking around like she was swimming.

"She got the role of fish." Pepper took out her phone and told Morgan to stay still. "Say 'cheese,' honey!"

Morgan kept pretending to swim but said, "Cheese!"

Tony groaned, "MY DAUGHTER IS NOT GOING TO PLAY NEMO."

Pepper raised a brow at him. "What do you have against Nemo?"

"_Nemo,_" Tony spat, "is common. Nemo is what all the other children are gonna look like and that'll be embarrassing! Think about it. You go to a party and you find out another woman there is wearing the same dress you are."

"Then she's got good taste." Tony shook his head at her, still against the Nemo costume.

Pepper tried again. "Tony she got assigned to be a fish. Nemo is the easiest one _and _she happens to like Nemo."

"Absolutely not. Angler fish."

"Angler fish?"

"Goldfish. Puffer fish. Betta fish. Koi. Tons of interesting fish out there. But a clown fish?"

"Tony our daughter doesn't even dance. We're going to be lucky if she even stays on stage."

"She will," Tony said confidently. "She will in the costume I'm gonna build her."

"Please don't let it be a self-dancing fish suit."

"It'll be a self-dancing fish suit."

Pepper buried her face in her hands. "Oh, God."

…

At two years old, Morgan was pretty vocal about whether she liked something or not. She'd say "No, please," when her mom made her eat broccoli.

She'd say "No" when Dad would pick her up from school and she didn't want to go home yet because she didn't get enough time to play in the playground.

She'd say "No shoes" when she wanted to run barefoot in the yard.

And when she liked something, she didn't let it go.

They had a hard time getting her to allow the Nemo costume to be taken off.

"No, please!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks that night.

"I told you. She doesn't want to be Nemo," came Tony's comment as he joined his wife and daughter in the nursery.

Pepper glared at him. "That is _not _why she's crying." She turned to her daughter. "Honey, you have to take a bath. Think of it this way, you can still go swimming in the tub."

"Swimming?" Morgan asked, eyes suddenly clearing itself of crocodile tears.

Pepper smiled. "Yeah, but we have to take Nemo off."

Morgan shook her head. "No take off. Wear Nemo. "

"I'll handle this," said Tony, reaching down and lifting Morgan in his arms. The toddler buried her face in the crook of her dad's neck. "Get a pair of scissors," he told Pepper.

"Absolutely not! We are not cutting it off."

Tony pouted. Well, he tried.

"Alright, Morguna. In the tub you go." He entered the bathroom and placed Morgan in the tub.

Pepper made a sound at the back of her throat, expressing her displeasure at the fact that Morgan was now pounds heavier with the wet fish costume.

Morgan started happily playing in the tub, splashing and causing the water to spill over to the floor.

Pepper turned to her husband who was now taking his own clothes off.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna give her a bath. And with that fish soaking wet, the foam inside will be heavier, allowing me to take it off easily."

Pepper had to admit that that was a solution if there was any.

She relented and kissed Tony on the cheek. "Okay. But you better wipe the floor when you're done."

…

Tony entered the master bedroom dressed in a bathrobe. His hair was still wet and he smelled divine.

He climbed on the bed next to Pepper and rested on his stomach, his chin in his hands.

"Mission successful."

Pepper cupped his cheek endearingly. "Thank you."

"Oh and I put the costume in the dryer but it's ruined, by the way." He sheepishly smiled at her.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Why do I feel like you ruined it on purpose?"

"I don't know how the dryer works," he shrugged. That was a believable lie. He once flooded the basement when Pepper made him do laundry. "Fish happens."

"Fish happens?" Pepper asked. "You're incorrigible. She's not gonna forgive you for destroying Nemo."

"I'll get her the real deal. It's fine. Look, I promise to make the self-dancing fish suit at least _look _normal."

Pepper considered that and figured that was the next best thing to a compromise she'd get from the overenthusiastic daddy.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Tony looked genuinely surprised that his wife had given him the O.K. He had expected to do a little bit more groveling considering he destroyed the costume on purpose.

"Okay."

Thinking of pushing his luck a bit further, he scooted a little closer to Pepper and gave her an inviting look. "Do I also get a little something extra for saving the day and successfully giving our daughter a bath? Did I also mention that she's tucked in bed and sleeping like a little angel fish?"

Pepper giggled, giving Tony her full attention now.

"An angel fish?"

"Cause she's an absolute angel," said Tony, sitting up and beginning to untie the robe he was wearing. "And I will stop talking about out daughter now, because I don't want to be thinking about her when I do this."

He leaned down and met his wife's eager lips.

…

Two weeks later, the self-dancing robot fish was an absolute success...even if it _was_ Nemo.

The day after the bath incident, Morgan asked for Nemo and looked absolutely crestfallen when Daddy said it was broken.

So, Tony built her the Nemo suit (Pepper was pretty smug for two days) and Morgan was now wiggling on stage with her classmates (3 of them were Nemos too, but Morgan looked the best of them) while her dad caught everything on camera.

"See? She's dancing!" Tony nudged Pepper.

Pepper smiled. "I still don't know if that's _her_ dancing or it's the suit."

"Does it matter? She _looks _like she's dancing."

"Tony!"

"Okay, fine, I'll tone it down next time."

"Thank you."


	8. Winning

**Summary: Morgan learns how to win an argument by watching her Mom and Dad banter.**

**Rating: T**

Morgan liked it when Mommy and Daddy got mad at each other.

Well, pretended to be mad at each other.

Mommy would talk very fast while Daddy would talk even faster. And Morgan, hidden at a corner, would watch them with a smile on her face because her parents were so funny pretending to fight.

Morgan was sure Mommy and Daddy didn't even understand each other because they always talked at the same time. Sort of like those seagulls in Finding Nemo.

They didn't fight like the kids at school did too. They were never truly angry because their voices didn't sound mad. They never bite each other or hit each other because mouths and hands weren't supposed to do that.

Instead, Daddy's face would get all twitchy. His eyebrows would come together in one straight line as he tried to talk to Mommy. And he would hold Mommy's hand to stop her from walking away and Mommy's cheeks would get a little bit redder when she saw Daddy looking at her in the eyes.

And then one of them, usually Mommy but sometimes Daddy, would kiss the other and then the house would be quiet again.

Like what was happening right now.

Morgan peered out from her spot in the staircase, making sure she didn't get caught because Mommy and Daddy always stopped pretending to fight when she was around.

"I have a PhD in engineering—"

"Which you make perfectly good use of in the garage, but Earl—"

"—always complains!" Daddy threw his hands in the air and Morgan giggled silently. Dad sure looked funny. "He complains about the problem and then he gives me that _look_, you know the one!"

Daddy tried making the face and Morgan pressed her hands to her mouth to stop herself from laughing loudly.

Mommy laughed too. "The one where his one eye gets smaller as he judges you?"

"That's the one! And then afterwards he acts like the whole house is gonna fall apart and he talks about how he can't possibly fix the problem—"

"But in the end, he fixes it!" Mommy pointed out.

"Exactly! _After _a whole day of complaints. And it doesn't help that he always blames _me _for—"

"Well, if you hadn't tossed that gunk in the sink last time, Earl wouldn't—

"That was Dum-E, not me!"

"The point is, Earl is good at what he does."

Daddy stared at Mommy with his mouth open. "And what am I? Chopped liver? I can fix the—"

"The last time I let you fix the plumbing, water came out in places it wasn't to be coming out of."

"I adjusted the—"

Mommy held Daddy by his arms and gave him a look. "Look, it's not a competition. It's just that Earl is good at this. He's a professional plumber while you are… good in other stuff."

"You hesitated." Daddy raised a brow at Mommy. "Why did you hesitate?"

Mommy shook her head and avoided Daddy's face. "I didn't."

Daddy folded his arms and looked at Mommy with a smirk on his face. "You totally hesitated."

Mommy's face began to flush. "I didn't. I was just thinking of the best word to describe your skills because you know, you're… you and—"

"You just hesitated again." Daddy started to laugh. "I can't believe this. If you think for a minute that I'm gonna let Earl—" But Daddy didn't get to finish because Mommy pressed her mouth to his in a kiss.

This was always Morgan's favorite part because Daddy always smiled right after. And it wasn't the smile he had whenever the camera people started taking pictures. It was always a different smile for Mommy.

Mommy and Daddy pulled apart and sure enough, Daddy was smiling and he seemed to have forgotten what it was he was going to say.

Finally, he said, "You have to stop doing that. You can't just kiss me and expect—"

Mommy kissed Daddy again.

"Fine. _Fine,_" said Daddy afterwards. "Professional Earl can work on the plumbing."

"Thank you."

And then just like that, the pretend-fight was over and Morgan rose to her feet, going up the stairs and back to her room.

Maybe she should kiss Daddy too when she breaks something in the garage.

…

Tony had to jump to avoid stepping on his daughter. She was lying on her stomach right in the doorway of the kitchen as she worked on a coloring book.

"Morgan, what are you doing lying on the—? Are you eating?" Right beside Morgan's coloring book was a bag of chips.

"Morgan H. Stark, what did Mommy say about eating?"

Pepper had been clear about that. Morgan and Tony weren't allowed to eat outside the kitchen because they always made a lot of spills. But just because Tony occasionally broke it when Pepper wasn't looking didn't mean Morgan could too.

Morgan gave her dad an innocent smile. "I'm following the rule! See?" She pointed at the bowl of chips which was situated right in the defined territory of the kitchen. "I'm inside the kitchen."

True enough, her upper body was right in the kitchen's borders while her lower half wasn't.

Tony didn't know whether to be proud or disappointed that at the age of 4 she was able to circumvent the system.

Pepper wasn't going to be pleased.

She was gonna blame him, Tony was sure of it.

Tony sat himself down beside Morgan who straightened up and sat on her knees.

"Technically, you're right. You _are _in the kitchen. But when Mommy made that rule, she meant you had to be sitting on the _chair_ in the kitchen. That's how you eat properly. You don't lie down on the floor."

Morgan pouted and partly rose, her knees still on the ground. She put a hand on her Tony's shoulder to balance herself. "But we sit on the grass in the park.

Tony had to stop himself from nodding because _technically_ that was true too.

"We're allowed to do that in the park, honey," Tony brushed Morgan's hair out of her face, "But in the house we—" Tony stopped midsentence because his daughter had just given him a kiss on the cheek… while he was still talking.

Now, why was that so familiar?

Tony gave Morgan a baffled look. "Did you just kiss Daddy to shut him up?"

Morgan's eyebrows danced up and down. "Mommy does it too."

"I know!" said Tony, feeling a mixture of amusement and mild-exasperation. This kid was way too smart and observant for her own good.

"You know what, gimme some of that," Tony held his hand out for the bag of chips. Morgan smiled and passed it to him. "I can never win with you Stark women."

Tony tossed a piece in his mouth. "This is good. What is this?"

"Animal crackers."

"Hmm," Tony glanced at his daughter. "You're not gonna tell mom about this, are you?"

"No. Are you?"

"Absolutely!" Morgan gave her dad a bewildered look at that, her head slanted and lips quirked.

Tony matched her expression. "You're not the boss of me."

"What if I kiss you again?" Morgan batted her eyes and Tony cocked his head, pretending to consider it.

"I'm gonna need at least _ten_ kisses for my silence."

Morgan wrapped her arms around her dad and started peppering kisses on his cheek. Once, twice, three times…

"I feel like I'm getting more saliva than kisses here."

Morgan laughed and tried again.


	9. I've Got The Power

**Summary: Pepper gets interviewed. Tony and Morgan play.**

**Rating: T**

Tony's reflection on the mirror smiled at her. He was leaning against her back, his head resting atop hers. His hands were on her shoulders and they gave Pepper a small squeeze.

"You look beautiful. They won't know what hit 'em."

Pepper tore her eyes away from his reflection and put away the liquid eyeliner pen in her hand. Then she turned back, glancing up at Tony.

"You'll keep Morgan entertained?"

Tony raised a hand up in promise. "I've already got a whole schedule for our girl." He reached out behind Pepper and wiggled the eyeliner. "I'm gonna need this." He grabbed her lipstick as an afterthought.

Pepper raised a brow. Did she want to know?

No, she decided. It was better left unsaid what he had in store for their one-year old today. What mattered was that she wasn't going to worry about her (or him) when Power Magazine's team arrived for the interview.

He had said so last night.

The day was going to be about her. He wasn't going to show up and steal the show. Neither was Morgan. So, Tony had tasked himself into making sure Morgan wasn't going to be a distraction.

"As long as you two have some fun," said Pepper, resting her fingers on Tony's hips. "But not too much fun because you know, I'll be jealous."

"Will do, boss." Tony leaned down to kiss her on the cheek because she already had lipstick on and he didn't want to get in trouble. "We'll be out back if you need us. And you, mama, just focus on your day."

Pepper let him go, thinking about how they were so lucky to still have each other, to have _this._

…

Her assistant Mandy was directing Power Mag's team on where to put the cameras and lights inside the house.

Pepper went out to welcome the rest of the crew who were still parked in the driveway.

"Mrs. Stark, good morning!" A petite Asian brunette abandoned the opened trunk of the car and approached Pepper. They shook hands. "I'm Sam, we spoke on the phone."

"Nice to finally meet you!"

"Same here. I can't—"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH"

Sam stopped, head turning this way and that for the source of the sudden sound.

"ZABENYAAAA."

Pepper only smiled, understanding dawning at why Tony needed her eyeliner earlier.

"Who—"

"My husband," Pepper explained.

Sam waited for the CEO to say more, but the latter only clasped her hands together as if that was a thorough explanation by itself. "You were saying?"

The woman was barely unfazed, Sam saw.

They started walking towards the house and Sam resumed her train of thought. "I was saying that I can't believe this is happening. I've been dreaming of doing an interview with you for years now. You are an inspiration to many women everywhe—"

Sam's eyes drifted away from Pepper and towards something behind her.

Pepper turned around.

So did the remaining crew following behind them.

"Is that…"

The words were left unsaid because how does one really describe the scene?

Tony was standing on the stump of tree where the firewood was chopped. He had his arms stretched out high above him like he was raising up a sacrifice to some god.

And in his hands was a pleased Morgan.

And she had whiskers drawn in eyeliner ink on her face.

Pepper chuckled.

"What is he doing?" one of the crew members asked, bemused.

"Lion King," Pepper explained. "It's been like that for about two days now. Our daughter's obsessed. I should've known what he was planning when he borrowed my eyeliner. Shall we?"

Sam took one last look at the scene and then followed Pepper in the house.

The living room was prepared with the cameramen waiting for the go signal.

"This is Krista," Sam introduced the blue-haired director. "She'll be arranging the shoot and will be taking photos as we have our chat."

Pepper and Krista exchanged pleasantries and then it was off to business.

Krista arranged Pepper and Sam on the couch, arranged the lighting, straightened Pepper's clothes.

Mandy was handing out coffee and snacks.

"So, that scene in the backyard, is that a normal one for you?"

Pepper laughed. "When you're married to Tony Stark, there's just no room for normal in your vocabulary."

Sam agreed with a chuckle of her own. "I don't know if you're aware but you've been nicknamed the First Lady of Stark Industries."

"Oh, yes," Pepper nodded. "That is technically not true. I mean, let's not disregard all the good that Maria Stark did during her time, running hundreds of charities and keeping Howard _and_ Tony Stark in line?" She let out a breath as if she was exhausted just thinking about it. "She was the original First Lady. I can only _try _to live up to her legacy."

"Of course, we're not putting Maria Stark aside, but this nickname is in context to the fact that you _are_ the first female CEO of Stark Industries."

"Yes, I am. I mean, there'd only been three CEOs before me. Obadiah was acting CEO when Tony wasn't 21 yet, but yes, I _am _the first female CEO of SI and I do hope that I'm not gonna be the last."

Behind Sam, Krista hovered with the camera in her hands, snapping pictures of Pepper as the interview continued.

"You have a daughter. How old is she?"

"A year old and seven months now."

"Has she shown any signs of following in your footsteps?"

"Well, you've seen what Tony's doing right now."

As on cue, there was a faint shrill cry of "Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh."

Pepper made a face as if to say that this was what she had to deal with on a daily basis.

Everyone in the room laughed before growing quiet again as they listened more intently.

"IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, MORGOONA SLEEPS TONIGHT."

"If my daughter inherited anything from me," Pepper resumed, "it's that she is pretty good at getting her father to do whatever she wants him to do. But CEO skills? I don't know."

"It's too soon to tell," added Sam.

"Yeah, too soon. Let's not pressure her just yet."

"Speaking of pressure, do _you _feel any with this title of First Lady?"

"A little? I don't, um, how do you say this? I'm not alone. I'm not the only woman in a position of power in the company or in the business world." Pepper gestured to her assistant who was standing in a corner on standby. "Mandy, my assistant is a wonderful, intelligent woman. Annie Wilson, our newly appointed CFO is a woman. Joan Lee who is our regional head in Asia is a woman. Half our board members are women," she listed them off one by one.

"My point is I feel like I'm also sharing that title of First Lady with them. If ever I'm in a bit of a stump, I call them. We help each other out a lot and I'm really grateful to have them with me. So, there _is_ pressure, absolutely, but it's more of a shared pressure to perform well collectively because there's just a lot of women who look up to us, who rely on us not to screw this up because we're in a position to show the world just how competent we can be, how powerful women have always been in general.

"And speaking of powerful women," said Sam, "Wakanda's being ruled by a woman again and Black Widow's stepped up to lead the Avengers."

Pepper grinned at the mention of Natasha. "I know! It's been a really tremendous year for women all over. Of course, I'm not saying that I'm happy King T'Challa and Princess Shuri vanished or that it had to take the Decimation for Natasha Romanoff to lead. It's awful that it's under those circumstances that it happened but it's really amazing and awe-inspiring that in spite of it all, we're not giving up, you know. That's what it means to be powerful."

Sam gives her a look to explain further and Pepper does. "You have this mad Titan who had all the powers in the universe but chose to snap away half of all living beings and he didn't even stay to deal with the aftermath of his grand plan. Meanwhile, here we are, humans, flawed but resilient and despite what happened, we're rebuilding. We live. We keep on going and I think that resonates more with what power really is, what it should be—the ability to contribute something meaningful to society, something _more_ out of what we were left with. And that's what I always try to translate into my work. I mean, we were the ones left behind and we_ have _to use this power for something good."

Sam nodded. "That's a big responsibility. I'd imagine sometimes, you'd like to shut off and recharge your batteries. How do you do that?"

"Oh, I don't." Pepper smiled sheepishly. "I never shut off, not really. Because we don't run on batteries, we can't just turn ourselves off like machines. I get to work and it's CEO mode and then I get home and I'm on Mom Mode and with Tony I also have to be on Wife Mode. And I'm lucky because I have a partner who is in tune to my needs, who knows when to keep our daughter away from me so that I don't accidentally blow up on her."

Pepper winced at a memory. "And it's awful when I do because she's one and she wants to play which is understandable, right? It's not her job to think about how mommy's feeling and if mommy would be in the mood for games. She's a toddler! So, no matter how tired I am, I always have to bottle it all up for a minute and push it down because my daughter needs me to be a mom and that's the full time job of a parent."

"Wait a minute, so you don't even have a Me Mode?" Sam asked.

"I do sometimes," Pepper admits with a chuckle. "I probably have an hour to myself in the evenings when the little girl's asleep and there's the weekends. So, that's the time I can pick up a book, go online shopping, relax."

"What are you reading right now?"

"Um, I just finished a book on painters from the 16th century. I was an art major," Pepper explained. "I don't draw though. I leave that to my daughter."

Krista cut in at that moment, inviting them to move to the study for the photoshoot.

They took a few pictures of Pepper on her work table and then out in the patio.

They neared the garden when one of the crewmen shouted in surprise.

Morgan had come out from her hiding place and scared the man. The latter had probably been more surprised at the look of Morgan's face rather than the fact she roared at him; her face was covered in eyeliner and lipstick. The whiskers were gone now and Pepper had no idea what she was supposed to be now.

"Honey, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Daddy," said Pepper, walking over to her daughter and carrying her. "You should say sorry for scaring my friend. Can you say sorry?"

Morgan shyly turned to the crew member. "Sowwy."

The man waved it off and gushed at how cute she was instead.

Pepper moved to pass Morgan to Mandy but Morgan held on to her mother, refusing to leave.

"There you are!" cried Tony, running over from the backyard, his face quite similar to Morgan's. "Hi, mom. Sorry, she got away. I told you we shouldn't have taught her how to walk."

Everybody who overheard laughed and Pepper shook her head at her husband.

"It's okay. We're done with interview. It's just the photos now."

Tony moved to take Morgan, saying, "Timon, you left Pumba by himself to fend off the hyenas. Come on. We still got like the rest of Act 3 to finish."

"No!" Morgan cried. She temporarily left her spot on the crook of her mother's neck to swat her dad's hands away and then went back to rest her cheek.

"Oh, somebody's sleepy," Tony rubbed Morgan's back while Pepper sent Sam and Krista a look, mouthing "Mom Mode."

Sam waved it away, understanding while Krista looked like she just thought of something great.

"We could do the shoot with her in your arms," said the director, "that is, if you're okay with it."

Tony and Pepper exchanged glances.

"We don't want her face plastered in magazines," said Tony, his hand ghosting Pepper's back.

Pepper leaned against him, nodding. "But if you leave her face out, that's fine."

Morgan was already close to nodding off, her face almost concealed by its placement on Pepper's shoulders.

"I can't even see her face," stated Krista, readying her camera.

Tony stepped aside and left Pepper and Morgan to their spotlight.

Watching them, he could see why the director wanted to take the shot. Seeing Pepper confidently strike a power pose in a business suit with Morgan in her arms provoked a very powerful image of a successful, dedicated, hardworking woman.

And wasn't that what they were going for here?


	10. Early Morning

**Summary: Morgan just wants to eat. Pepper just wants to sleep. And Tony considers the perks of having a daughter for an alarm clock.**

**Rating: T**

The door to the bedroom creaked open and Tony entered, crawling into bed next to Pepper who was already laying on her side, having put her book away and watching him with a grateful smile.

The worn-out look on Tony's face told Pepper that he had successfully managed to do the impossible which was put their daughter to sleep.

Tony pulled off his t-shirt and then lay next to his wife, eyes trailing her form.

She was wearing an old PE shirt and boxer shorts. She looked amazing and Tony had never been so glad to have a sleeping daughter in his life.

He lay on his side, hand on his wife's hip. They were inches apart.

"Daddy duties over?"

He wiggled his eyebrows up and down, hoping it'd make him look a lot more seductive than tired.

"Now, it's husband duties."

Pepper giggled and let him bring their lips together.

The kisses were lazy ones; they were far too tired for it to be anything more, but Tony was always willing to try taking it up a notch.

Tony still had a hand on her hip, but his thumb had pushed the waistband of her boxers down, touching skin. Pepper's palm was on his bare chest, right over the small scar there. It was barely visible but she could always feel it. Her leg was over Tony's hip, she could feel his warmth more that way and it was cold tonight.

Tony broke the kiss to stifle a yawn but failed.

Pepper laughed, playfully bumping her nose to his.

"Morgan wore you out, huh?"

"Yeah, and I'm looking forward to you knocking me out dead."

"We could postpone."

"No. We've barely had any sexy times together since she was born—"

"Please don't call it that—"

"I'm fine. I can do this." His body betrayed him at that moment as he yawned again.

Pepper caressed his cheek softly and Tony's eyes fluttered shut. "Sleep." She urged him. "I'll still be here tomorrow…and the day after that and the day after that."

Tony smiled and Pepper gave him a soft, chaste kiss.

When she pulled away, he was already asleep.

She pressed herself closer against him and closed her eyes too.

...

They woke up to the sound of Morgan's cries.

Tony was lying on his back while Pepper was curled up on the other side of the bed, stirring.

She hit him with a free pillow, a garbled sound coming out of her mouth.

"I'm on it, I'm on it."

She went back to sleep while Tony got up and went to Morgan's room.

His little girl was crying and that was always a pretty effective alarm clock.

Cradling her against his chest, Morgan quieted immediately bringing a sense of achievement to her father. Tony usually couldn't bring Morgan to stop crying especially when she was—

Looking down at his daughter, Tony's eyes widened.

"Honey!" he cried from the nursery.

When his wife didn't respond, Tony walked over to their room, going over to Pepper's side of the bed.

"Pepper!" he hissed.

"What?" Pepper was not happy to be woken up.

"You gotta see this."

Pepper turned slowly and saw Tony carrying their daughter in one arm—their daughter who was currently trying to suckle on Tony's nipple.

Pepper laughed, all signs of drowsiness immediately dissipating.

She sat up, still shaking arms outstretched for her baby.

"I'm sorry daddy doesn't have the right parts," Tony said handing the infant over with a genuine apologetic look on his face.

Tony Stark would grow mammary glands if he could make his daughter happy.

Pepper was still chuckling when she lifted her shirt and let Morgan latch on to a breast.

"That was a strange yet satisfying fatherly experience," said Tony, motioning at Pepper to scoot over as he sat beside her, back to the headboard, one outstretched leg crossed over another. "You know, that she trusted me enough to try and drink from my sorely-lacking-in-milk-man nipples."

"It was bound to happen at one point," said Pepper, wincing when Morgan got a little too enthusiastic with her breakfast.

"What's it feel like?"

"It hurts a little bit. Probably because my nipples aren't the right size."

"They are the perfect size. I love your nipples."

Pepper only gave him an amused smile and Tony turned his attention back to their daughter.

"Stop giving mommy a complex. She has great boobs."

Pepper nudged him with her knee, laughing.

"I miss your boobs," Tony said sighing dramatically.

"If anyone ever heard you say that, they'd think sex is all you care about."

"Not true! I don't love your boobs for sexual purposes. Clearly, if anyone ever misinterpreted my previous statement, it'd be because they'd never placed their head on a chest with a comfy pair of boobs. In fact, I'm more worried about the reason why someone would even be close enough to overhear us having this conversation."

"Well, you can rest your head on my chest again as soon as I wean Morgan off the breastmilk."

"Don't feel pressured on my account. Clearly Morgan loves resting her head on your boobs too. And she technically has priority resting, what with your boobs being a source of magic milk and all."

Pepper laughed.

"You ever wonder what it would be like if we had gotten a head start on this ten years ago?" Tony asked her, hand stroking Morgan's head.

"Ten years ago?" They were so young ten years ago. Young _and _filled with different priorities.

"Yeah, we'd have a whole brood of kids." Tony was pretty sure if there was an alternate reality where he and Pepper were married before all this superhero business began, they'd probably have an SUV full of children.

"You were allergic to kids ten years ago," Pepper reminded him with a wry look.

"The second falsehood you've claimed today and it's only, what—" he glanced up at the ceiling. "Fri, what time is it?"

"It's 5:26 in the morning, boss."

"It's five—It's five in the morning?" He stared disbelievingly at Morgan and then at Pepper. He didn't usually get up this early. In fact, he never got up this early. "Why do I have a feeling that a daughter was part of your grand master plan to get me to wake up at ungodly hours in the morning everyday?"

Pepper only gave him a smile, one that had proven to be his waterloo when it came to arguments over the years. "Well, it's working, isn't it?"

Tony shook his head at her. "Now, see, if we did this ten years ago, I never would have been late to a single meeting. Ever."

Pepper scoffed at his insinuation that his being late to all the meetings in the previous years have been because he was daughter-less.

"You would be late to a meeting—"

"Nope. Perfectly on time."

"—for whatever silly reason you got in your head—"

"Prompt and responsible, that's me."

"You'd probably even skip all the meetings—"

"I really wouldn't."

"—in favor of watching your daughter drool in her sleep all day—"

"I'd bring her to the meeting and show her off. On time."

Pepper nudged him with her knee again and Tony almost fell off the bed.

He laughed but pointed out, "Hey! If she turns out violent, that's on you."

He kissed Pepper on her temple and then kissed the top of Morgan's head.

From his spot on Morgan's head, mouth still pressed on the little tuft of hair, he looked up at his wife through his long lashes and said, "How long do I have to wait before I beg you for another one?"

Never mind that conceiving another one would be quite challenging given their ages; hey, there was adoption now too.

Pepper groaned half-heartedly but said with a smile, "Hmm, ask me again when Morgan's four."

"Deal."


	11. Let's Talk About It

**A/N: Someone recently told me that they got a little bit confused with the timetable of this series because it jumps back and forth. Well, this one is on ao3 too and is now chronologically ordered but doing that here in FFN takes a lot of work and I mean, replacing chapters instead of simply reordering them. So I'm just gonna specify what part of the 5-year-timeline this is in by using Morgan's age as a reference. Morgan's 2-3 years old in this one.**

**Summary: ****Tony tells Rhodey about how much marriage changed things for him and Pepper which leads to them talking about other stuff.**

**Rating: T**

The scotch was on the table. The lighting was a soft glow coming from one lamp beside the couch. Rhodey and Tony had just eaten dinner and were in the mood to do absolutely nothing but drink and talk, just like old times.

Rhodey smiled gratefully at Pepper (she made a wonderful meal) who had just finished clearing up in the kitchen and now walked over the threshold to the living room.

She stopped in front of Tony to ask, "Daddy, is she—"

"Bathed and sleeping."

Pepper made a satisfied sigh and leaned down, a hand on Tony's cheek, lips on his lips, tongue hot in his mouth—Tony moaned.

Rhodey quickly looked away, rolling his eyes. "Okay, power down, you two. Keep it in the bedroom."

Pepper pulled back, licking her lips. Tony's hands slid off her ass.

"I love you," she said before fixing Rhodey a stern look. "Not too late, gentlemen. I've got plans for that one," she said nodding at Tony who shifted.

She gave him one last sultry look and then Tony and Rhodey were left watching her go up the staircase.

"I love you too!" Tony remembered to say at the last minute, when he had successfully managed to take his eyes off his wife.

Rhodey gave Tony a confused look. "What the hell was that?"

Tony shrugged like Pepper making out with him in plain view of other people was normal. "She's ovulating."

"Ovulati—you didn't tell me you guys were trying again."

"We're not," said Tony, reaching for his glass of scotch and taking a sip. "She's just horny when she's ovulating."

Rhodey cringed. "I did _not_ need to know that about your wife."

Tony shook his head at Rhodey. "Everybody knows that. That's science. You ovulate, your hormones are whack, you're horny—"

"Yes, but I did not need to know that my friend was currently in that state! Or the fact that that was her being, you know," he gestured with his hands, Tony frowned in confusion. He repeated the gesture Rhodes made and asked, "Is that supposed to mean sex?"

"No! You know what, I don't want to talk about this." Rhodey reached for his scotch and took a long swallow.

"You were the one who brought it up. You asked the question. Actually, now that we're talking about it, I do want to talk to you about Pepper."

Rhodey started shaking his head. He had a pretty good idea of what Tony wanted to talk about. "We're not gonna talk about—"

But Tony disregarded him. "You should get yourself a wife, is all I'm gonna say. Ever since Pepper and I got married—"

Rhodey leaned back against the arm of the sofa and sighed. "Aaannd you're talking about it."

Tony continued as if his best friend never spoke. "She just loves it when I do the simplest, domestic things. You saw how she reacted when I said I put Morgan to bed."

Rhodey shot Tony a warning look. There was only so much that he wanted to know.

Tony raised his hands, palms up. He chose his next words carefully. "Let's just say that the reward is great for he who washeth the dishes."

Rhodey was shaking his head at the mental image. "We eat in the kitchen! Can you stop? I am starting to picture Pepper in ways you don't want me imagining her. So, please, change topic."

Tony nodded. "Noted. Stopping now."

"Thank you."

"But can I just say—"

"Ugh," Rhodey groaned, letting his head fall back.

"Married life is great. You gotta get yourself a wife, man." Tony poured himself another round of scotch.

Rhodey handed him his glass too. "I gotta find a woman first." The right woman, he added mentally.

"How about Carol?" Tony asked, "She's a pilot."

"She's great. And also never around. So, you know…Thanks." Rhodey accepted the glass and settled comfortably in the couch again.

"That's true. But distance never stopped me and Pepper from—"

Rhodey knew exactly where this was heading and cut in before Tony could finish, "What did I say about oversharing?"

"It's not like you don't know all my dirty secrets. You've seen me naked—"

Rhodey gave Tony a deadpan look. "That's normal. Everyone's seen you naked."

Sometimes,Tony could be so matter-of-fact about all of this.

"There's a difference between knowing about what you and your wife do and having you spell it out for me right here in your home where your daughter is sleeping one floor above us."

"She's a heavy sleeper. It's fine," said Tony, waving his hand dismissively. "But think about it. Carol."

"Even if I did, our comms aren't really private, you know. Try doing a long distance relationship with Natasha and Rocket in the background."

"Yeah, that could be a cockblocker," admitted Tony, then grinned at a passing thought. "I'll build you your own comm line! Unhackable. Just hit me up."

"I thought nobody says hack now?" Rhodey teased, referring to a time when Tony made that exact same remark to him a few years ago. "And why are we even talking about this? Carol is an amazing woman. I respect her and It's not even like that between us." They were colleagues. Nothing more.

Tony, unsurprisingly, wasn't one to give up. "It could be if you wanted it to. But if you're too scared to make a move—"

"I'm not scared."

"—there are tons of other women out there. I hear the young ones all like middle aged men, nothing illegal, they just want a sugar daddy to pay for college."

Rhodey had had enough of speaking about _his _lack of a love life and said, "Speaking of sugar daddy, what is up with Pepper calling you Daddy? Is that your kink?"

"What? No!" It was Tony's turn to cringe, his nose crinkling at Rhodey's insinuation. "Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"Who put it there?!"

"My daughter calls me daddy, what is wrong with you? You're defiling the title!"

"When your daughter calls you daddy, that's fine. But when your wife calls you daddy—"

"It's a thing parents do!" Tony defended, "I mean, you stop being Tony and Pepper in the house and you become Daddy and Mommy. I mean, every day it's like 'Mommy! Mommy! Daddy! Daddy!' Naturally, we were bound to start calling each other that!"

"Do you do that in bed?" Rhodey couldn't help but ask, enjoying how the tables have turned between the two of them.

Tony hit Rhodey with the back of his hand. "You're disgusting! You know what, get outta here." Tony rose, ushering a chuckling Rhodey up to the front door. "That's enough out of you. You kiss my daughter with that mouth?"

"You're one to talk! You did it in the kitchen where your daughter eats!" Tony lightly pushed Rhodey out to the porch, blocking the entryway so he couldn't get back in. Rhodey laughed again, accepting defeat. "Okay. Goodnight, man! Tell mommy I said goodnight."

Tony shook his head at him. "Don't do that."

"What?"

"Call her mommy."

"_You_ do!"

"Cause she's my wife! And when I do it, there's no underlying tone, but with you I can't tell—She's not—only Morgan and I—goodnight, Rhodes." Tony shut the door in his friend's face.

Through the screen, he could still see Rhodey grin smugly at him.

"Night, daddy."

**A/N: I needed a fic where Tony and Pepper do that Parent Thing where they call each other mom and dad but this was the result. Please tell me that your parents do that too. If they don't, are they even parents?**

**Jsyk, this series will never be complete, because we need it go on FOREVER for the greater good. But also, updates won't be as frequent anymore because I have 2 plot bunnies left right now. So, if you guys want to help a sister out, feel free to give me topics to cover in the comments below. No promises I'll write them, but I'll try my best!**


	12. Afternoon Snack

**A/N:This is for Gillian who shared her headcanon that Morgan visited Tony while he was at the compound working on his time heist thesis. Morgan is 4 years old in this one.**

**Summary: The funeral wasn't the first time Morgan met the Avengers. She met some of them (properly) when she brought them tacos one time because Mommy said Daddy always forgot to eat when he's pulling an all-nighter. Whatever that means.**

**Rating: T**

The sound of a child's giggles was what alerted the Avengers that there was someone in the building.

Immediately, Natasha looked for Scott and was a little surprised to see him there... Or rather to see him as he was. She was half-expecting him to be a toddler and giggling.

Scott raised his hands up, catching Natasha's train of thought. "That's not me. I'm right here. And a grown man, thank you very much."

Tony knew that sound well enough. He was often the cause of it, loved to hear it over and over. It was music to his ears.

Morgan was in the building which also meant that Pepper was in the building. But why, he didn't know.

When he left the house earlier today, Pepper was in the kitchen making lunch. He had deeply kissed her goodbye because he wouldn't be seeing her for a couple days (not if they were going to pull an all nighter on this time heist).

"Daddy, what about me?" Morgan piped from her chair. She was mincing lettuce with a child friendly knife (they were trying to raise her up the Montessori way and so far it was a blast).

"Well, can't forget about you now, can I?" Tony planted a kiss on the top of her head, savoring the smell of her. He needed it like he needed air. "Don't tell Mommy this but you give the best kisses."

"I can hear you, you know," said Pepper.

Morgan giggled, melodious and clear. She kissed Tony goodbye and that was the last time he thought he'd see them for quite a while.

Turned out he was wrong.

There was a sound of someone running now and all heads turned as a small figure quickly entered the common room, heading towards Tony and burying her face in his legs.

"Mommy told me to come and feed you."

The mysterious giggler was finally revealed.

It was Morgan Stark and coming up behind her was Pepper.

Tony hefted Morgan up in his arms. The little girl scanned the room's occupants and beamed when she saw a familiar face. "Hi, Uncle Bruce!"

The green giant waved.

"Morgan, what about everybody else?" asked Pepper.

"Hi, everyone," Morgan added shyly.

"Hi!" said Natasha, eyes immediately softening at Morgan.

There was an echo of hellos and Tony walked over to Pepper and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing here?"

Pepper pushed past him, smiling and addressing the rest of the team with her reply, "I brought food."

"Food?" Scott's head perked up. He was starving. He was always starving nowadays. It was probably the five months (years) of fasting catching up to him.

Pepper placed two bags on the table and started pulling out Tupperwares. "Because knowing you guys, you probably only have bread and peanut butter in the compound."

"She isn't wrong," said Scott again, rubbing his hands together and taking a seat.

Steve looked at Tony, almost asking permission, because this was Tony's life now and Steve wouldn't involve the family with what they were doing if Tony wasn't okay with it.

Tony sighed and nodded. He put Morgan down and started the introductions.

"Everybody this is Morgan. Morgan, this is your Uncle Steve, he's older than he looks," he whispered the last part audibly.

On and on he went, introducing each team member to his daughter and giving a description for each one. "Uncle Bruce, you know him, Uncle Scott, loves ants, and Aunt Nat, she's a ballet dancer."

"No way!" Morgan cried, forgetting her initial shyness among these people. She remembered seeing them at the house yesterday but they didn't seem to be in a good mood then. Now, they seemed different. More relaxed.

Natasha waved and walked over to her. "I was at your first birthday, you know." Crouching, she started a conversation with the girl and Tony was grateful.

"This is Pepper. You all know Pepper."

"I don't," admitted Scott. He waved at Pepper and Pepper waved back. "I'm Scott."

"I know."

"Wait, you know? How do you know?" Scott pointed at her. "You're an Ant-Man fan!"

"A what?"

Scottg groaned while Steve laughed.

"I'm kidding," Pepper said, sending an apologetic look at Scott. "Hope told me a lot about you."

Scott's eyes widened "You know... knew Hope?" There was a hint of desperation in his voice, anything to have a connection with Hope again... even if it had to be through another person.

"Yeah. She and Tony bonded when they were younger."

Scott turned to Tony. "You didn't tell me that! She didn't tell me that!"

"We like to pretend we hate each other's guts," said Tony with a shrug. "But Hank Pym probably really does hate me."

"But how do _you_ know Hope?" Scott asked Pepper.

"Of course I know her. We're both female CEOs with idiotic boyfriends."

Tony barked out a laugh while Scott said, "You know you're included in that barb, right?"

"Joke's on you because I'm her ex-boyfriend."

Pepper rolled her eyes before clapping her hands, getting everyone's attention. She was always good at that, thought Tony.

Natasha, Morgan, Bruce, and Steve gathered around the table.

"Okay, so Morgan and I made tacos," said Pepper

"Neat!" Frankly, they could've brought grilled cheese and Scott would still be drooling.

"I chopped the lettuce!" said Morgan.

"Looks choppafied!" Scott winked at Morgan who laughed.

"That's not a word," Tony said to Morgan.

"So, here's the grated cheese, the taco shells, the ground beef, the guac, the yogurt, the diced tomatoes. Tony this is for you." Pepper handed her husband a different container.

"He gets a different meal?" asked Scott, already assembling his taco.

"I'm on a gluten free diet," Tony told him, settling his own lunch down on the table. To Pepper he said, "Can I talk to you for a minute? Don't touch my food," he said to Scott.

Scott wore a face that said he wouldn't dream of eating something so healthy.

Pepper nodded, leaving Morgan to teach Bruce who was pretending to be stumped on how to make a taco.

She followed Tony out to the hall where the gang could still see them through the glass, but not overhear their conversation.

"So, last night was..." Pepper blew out a breath, recalling the intimate moment between them, "Whoo. We should have a Last Night more often."

"What are you doing here?" Tony asked her. It wasn't that he was unhappy to see his family. It was more along the lines of him not wanting them anywhere near here in case their time heist backfired.

"I told you. We brought lunch."

"You know what I mean."

Pepper nodded, her face growing somber. "You and I both know there's only two ways this mission is gonna end."

"Pep."

"So, either way, I'm gonna make the most out of what time I have left with you by bugging you to eat and shower because we know you need the reminder. And what I need you to do, is act normally for Morgan's sake because she's super observant which she totally got from you, by the way. I don't know why she's such a smartass at four years old-"

"You're rambling." She always rambled when she was nervous.

"Who's fault is that?"

And that's when Tony wrapped his arms around her tightly. God, he didn't deserve such a woman.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too."

From inside the room, they could hear Morgan say, "Hey, that's my sled!"

The couple pulled apart to see Steve failing to explain how he got the vibranium shield and did not in fact steal it from the garage.

"You should probably-"

"Yeah, I'm on it." Tony hurried back saying, "Morgan, that's not your sled. That's Uncle Steve's sled."

...

"So you can talk to Ants?" asked Steve, still awed at that piece of information. They've really got it all now, huh?

"Yeah!" Scott said to him, "Want me to call one? Cause I will if Captain America wants me to."

Steve ignored the teasing grin on Natasha's face. He knew Scott was a big fan.

"What do you say, Morgan?" Steve addressed the girl, instead.

Morgan nodded her head vigorously.

"That's a go, Ant-Man."

Scott saluted and barked "Aye, aye Captain!"

Morgan giggled.

Scott closed his eyes and pressed two fingers to his temple a la that bald telepathic character from that really old comic. "Calling ANT-ony Stark, I repeat, ANT-ony Stark."

Tony rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut. He wasn't gonna ruin this moment for Morgan.

"Please fly in the room and land on Morgan's finger."

The whole room was silent. They had seen Scott grow big and small before but never saw him use this particular skill. Bruce was looking on wide eyed.

There was a small buzzing and a flying ant landed on top of Morgan's middle finger.

Scott opened his eyes and grinned, pleased with himself.

"Wow!" Morgan looked up at Tony. "Daddy, can I have a pet ant?"

"Sure, honey. You know, Uncle Scott can make them grow big too."

"Like a dog?"

"You can do that right?" Tony turned to Scott.

"Yeah," Scott said but his heart wasn't much in it anymore. The dog-ant reminded Scott of a time so far away now. Cassie was smaller then.

He made another taco before excusing himself.

"That time travel, phew," he reasoned, "I feel like I'm eating for baby me _and_ old me. I'm gonna go eat this outside. I need some air." He took his taco for to-go and walked out.

"Someone tell him to wait until Nebula and Rocket land their ship or he'll be smelling a lot more fuel than fresh air," said Natasha, wiping her fingers on a napkin.

"Nebula's coming?" asked Morgan with a smile.

The sound of a ship's engine overhead answered Morgan's question and her smile broadened.

"Ah, that's my cue to leave," said Bruce, slinging a messenger bag over his body, and then wrapping his two tacos up too.

"Good luck," Steve said to him.

Bruce nodded and went in the same direction Scott did.

Shortly after, Nebula sauntered into the room, followed by Rhodey.

"I smell tacos!" Rhodey announced, immediately sitting down and grabbing a shell. He finally noticed Morgan sitting beside him and said, "Oh, hey Morgan Freeman."

"Hi, Uncle Rhodey. Nebula! It's snack time! Sit with me!" Morgan placed the taco shell on a paper plate and immediately told Nebula all about the taco and what to put inside it.

Nebula nodded at the child and was picking up the taco when the shell cracked in two right down the middle.

She blinked, not expecting it. She dropped the shell on her plate and rubbed her fingers together to get the crumbs off. "It's fragile. Why is it fragile like your human bodies?"

"Now, _that's_ a word," Tony pointed at Morgan, "Fragile. Means it breaks easily." He handed a new taco shell to Nebula, "Handle with care."

Pepper took over, holding Nebula's taco shell for her while the latter chose and scooped up toppings.

"Daddy, why's the taco fragile?"

"Because it's hollow. And also so that we can learn how to take care of fragile stuff, to use our strength wisely, to protect the weak."

"Wow," said Natasha. "I didn't know you had it in you to wax poetic."

"Every moment's a teachable moment."

"Daddy teaches me lots of words," Morgan informed Natasha while Tony confirmed that with a proud nod. "Last night, I learned the word shit."

Steve sent Tony a horrified look while Rhodey doubled over in laughter.

There was a soft yet familiar sound of something crackling and all heads turned to see Nebula's taco crushed on her plate. Apparently, Pepper had dropped it, startled at the recent reveal.

"You what?" came Pepper's question.

"Oh boy," Steve muttered under her breath.

"I just want to eat," Nebula mumbled, grabbing another taco. This time she did it super slowly and gently.

"No, no, no," Tony said to a Morgan who looked strangely pleased with herself. If he didn't know any better she knew exactly what she meant to say with that sentence. Pepper was right. Smartass. "I said that was Mommy's word. Only she's allowed to say it."

Rhodey laughed harder while Pepper hit Tony in the arm.

"Way to deflect the blame, Tony," said Natasha, shaking her head.

Morgan turned to Nebula, ignoring her parents argument. Nebula was putting lettuce on her taco as carefully as possible.

"Do you like it?" Morgan asked when Nebula had her first bite (finally!) "I chopped the lettuce and I packed it all up properly."

Nebula smiled, nodding as she chewed. "It's tasty despite its physical defects and weak structure."

Rhodey snorted and Tony patted his back. With a look to Nebula, Tony said, "You and I need to work on your choice of words. The taco is not weak or physically defected. Morgan, what's the word mommy always uses?"

"Shit?"

Rhodey was laughing again and Pepper buried her face in her hands.

**A/N: I needed a fic where Tony and Pepper do that Parent Thing where they call each other mom and dad but this was the result. Please tell me that your parents do that too. If they don't, are they even parents?**

**Jsyk, this series will never be complete, because we need it go on FOREVER for the greater good. But also, updates won't be as frequent anymore because I have 2 plot bunnies left right now. So, if you guys want to help a sister out, feel free to give me topics to cover in the comments below. No promises I'll write them, but I'll try my best!**


	13. Fun Fun Fun

**A/N: This is for generalantiope who requested Morgan interrupting Pepperony having sex. I tweaked it a bit, though, because I wanted to make it distinct from all the other "A walks in/interrupts B having sex" trope. Hope this passes judgement. Morgan is three years old in this.**

**Summary: Tony wants to make things "fun" between him and Pepper. Morgan keeps interrupting before it's even begun.**

**Rating: T**

"Pep, do you think we're boring?" Tony asked one night.

They were already in bed at 9 PM, the lights turned off.

Pepper was almost lost in sleep when Tony had spoken. She could only bother with a hum.

"Honey," Tony tried again.

Pepper grunted.

"Friday, lamp."

The lamp on his bedside table lit up and Pepper immediately grumbled her annoyance. She turned her back on him and the lights, and pulled the blanket over her face.

Tony sat up and stared at the blanketed form of his wife.

"This is serious!" He scooted closer and rested his chin on her side. "Are we boring people?"

Pepper sighed and pulled the blanket down to her chin, looking at her husband. "What?"

"Are we boring?"

"Are you kidding me? I have to be up early tomorrow!"

"Oh, my God, we _are_ boring," Tony rose to a sitting position and leaned against the headboard, head thrown back. Since when did they sleep at 9 in the evening?

Pepper knew she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon and decided to humor her husband, "What's the matter?"

"Somebody on the street said I was boring."

"Since when do you care about what people on the street say?"

"Since I couldn't remember the last time I did something fun. Pep, we used to have a lot of fun, the two of us."

Still lying down, Pep raised a brow at him. "I vaguely remember a time when you were the one having fun while I cleaned up after you."

"Case in point, we used to have a lot of fun sex."

"Are you saying the sex we have now is bad?"

"Making love to you is always amazing. But my point is we used to do it a lot."

"We had sex last night!"

"Once."

"Tony, we are way too tired to be doing it more than once."

"Exactly my point! We get tired easily. We're getting old. _Boring_. We should go out, have fun. Go skinny dipping out in the lake."

"It's December."

"And then cuddle naked by the fireplace."

"What would Morgan say if she saw us naked by the fire?"

"Say we're a nudist family?"

Pepper dismissed him with a laugh. "You need to get some sleep. Less caffeine and more sleep. And stop listening to people on the street." She pulled the blanket over her face and turned to her side once more.

Tony placed a hand on her arm and hovered his ear over hers. "Come on, I'm serious! I don't want to be the guy who got boring after he retired. We have to spice things up!"

Pepper pulled the blanket down and craned her neck to look at him. "You and Morgan just did shadow art on the driveway. Now it looks like a Pollock Painting. Was that boring?"

"Of course not! It was great! My shadow looked nothing like me! But don't you just miss all those times we used to get drunk—"

"That was all you."

"—and get arrested."

"You again."

"You remember those times?"

Pepper simply smiled. "Well, those times certainly were... colorful in comparison."

"See?"

Pepper turned, lying on her back while Tony had moved down to his side, propped up by the elbow.

"But honey you can hardly run around and break the law again. We're parents! We have to set the right example for Morgan."

"Oh, I'm not talking about getting wasted painting the town. We can always have fun right here, right now." His eyes glinted and Pepper, knowing exactly what he had in mind, still asked, "What do you have in mind?"

Tony quickly rolled on top of her, his hands pressing down on the mattress on either side of his wife to support his full weight.

"She's asleep, we can get our—"

"Little Boss is approaching," came FRIDAY's timely (not really, if you asked Tony) alert.

Tony quickly rolled off Pepper and they both sat up at the same time the door to their bedroom swung open.

"Mom?" Morgan asked, walking closer and then climbing up their bed.

"Hey, little miss," Tony said, helping her up. "What are you doing up?"

The three year old settled between him and Pepper. She pressed her face to Pepper's side and said, "I'm scared."

Pepper rubbed her back, eyeing Tony as she asked, "What did you make her watch?

"Why do you always think I made her watch something?" At Pepper's raised brow, Tony admitted, "Gravity Falls."

"Tony!"

"I didn't think she'd get scared! She wasn't when we were watching! Plus, how can she be scared of that cartoon when she personally knows a green no-longer-raging monster and a blue humanoid?"

Pepper didn't respond, choosing instead to fix him with a chastising look, instead.

Tony sighed. He was gonna have to make this better. There goes his fun night with his wife.

He leaned down to Morgan, whispering in her ear, "I know just the thing to make you feel better."

She turned her head to him but was still clutching Pepper's side. "A story?" she asked, voice small.

"Better. Airplane!"

Morgan slowly nodded, a smile growing bigger and bigger on her face.

Pepper watched as Morgan slowly detached herself from her and gave herself over to her dad.

Airplane was an old favorite. Tony would lift Morgan up in the air, her stomach balanced on the soles of his feet while he held her hands spread eagle to mimic the form of an aircraft and also to make sure she didn't fall and hit her head.

They had stopped doing Airplane when she got a little bigger and heavier but sometimes, on nights that warranted breaking the rules, Tony gladly did it for his little girl.

The sounds of Morgan's infectious laughter filled the room and later when she was knocked out between him and Pepper, Tony whispered, "Who said you couldn't have fun in bed?"

Pepper snorted a laugh. "A different kind of bedroom fun...but, yes, it's still fun."

"Good night, Mommy."

"Good night, Daddy."

...

"I'm admitting it. You were right. This was a fun date night," said Pepper, as she and Tony skated another round on the frozen lake.

"I have my moments," Tony said smugly, squeezing her gloved hand.

"I still can't feel my face, though."

Tony smirked. "I can take care of that for you."

Pepper smiled against his mouth, reveling at how romantic this date turned out to be.

She had initially refused him when he pitched the idea of ice skating on the lake.

"You love Serendipity," argued Tony, referencing the romantic comedy starring Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack.

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna go out there with just one glove."

"Honey, come on. I put Morgan to bed before her bedtime! I even had Dum-E go out and measure ice integrity."

"How did that turn out?"

"He got a little bit distracted sliding across the ice but he's fine. U's got him defrosting." Tony took her hands in his and said, "It'll be fun and we're fun, right?"

That was that and now they were currently walking back up to the house, giggling like teenagers, desperate to get back in the house where they could warm themselves up thoroughly.

They pulled off their skates and hurried inside.

The door shut loudly behind them and Pepper hissed at Tony to be quiet lest they wake their daughter.

"She's a heavy sleeper," Tony reminded her, laughing. "Nothing can wake that girl except—"

There was a series of hurried footsteps padding down the stairs and the couple froze.

Morgan appeared at the bottom of the step, eyes alight. Her smile vanished when she saw her parents. Almost as if she was disappointed to see them and not someone else.

"What you doing?" she asked in a suspicious tone.

Tony and Pepper immediately took one step away from each other.

"I could ask you the same thing, little miss. You should be asleep."

Morgan shook her head and ran to the window, looking out.

"Did you see him?" she asked her parents, eyes glued to the sky.

"See who?"

"Santa! I hear him! The door sounded bang and someone was laughing."

Pepper and Tony exchanged looks.

Pepper crossed over to her daughter and said, "Oh, honey. Have you been staying up every night, waiting for Santa?"

Morgan nodded.

"Baby, Santa doesn't come until Christmas Eve," Tony told her.

"But he has to get my letter!" Morgan insisted looking at the letter that was on the coffee table.

"Right," Tony said, he completely forget about that. "Tell you what, maybe Santa would come if we left him a little snack?"

"Like milk and cookies?"

"Yeah! He has a sweet tooth, you know. Can't say no to milk and cookies. He's probably diabetic at this point."

Pepper rolled her eyes and asked her daughter, "We'll leave some milk and cookies for him tomorrow, okay?"

"Now! We make now and wait for Santa to come back!"

Pepper turned to Tony who shrugged and said, "Well, it's only 9."

They ended up making cookies for Santa; Morgan licked the spoon while Tony ate more than what he had a hand in making.

It was midnight when Morgan was finally asleep, passed out in the living room couch because she insisted on staying there to keep the watch.

The fire was crackling in the fireplace and Tony and Pepper were exchanging yawns, seated on the floor.

"Who wrote this for her?" Pepper asked, showing Tony Morgan's opened letter to Santa.

"Happy probably." Tony skimmed the list, "She wants a Baby Alive? That doll is creepy. I am not risking an Annabelle movie happening in my house."

Pepper sipped her wine. "She also asked for a car."

"I can make that happen."

"In rainbow colors."

"Totally doable."

Pepper yawned and Tony nudged her to go to bed.

"I'm sorry this day didn't end the way you wanted it to," she said to him.

"Are you kidding me?" Tony asked, "Cookies and wine with my two favorite girls? Funnest ever."

"That's not a word."

"She's not listening."

...

Tony opened the car door before Pepper had the chance to unbuckle her seat belt and then he was pulling her out the car. He took her work bag from her and hurried her inside the house, grinning from ear to ear.

"Come on! Come on!" he said, dumping her bags on the table by the foyer.

"Someone's excited," Pepper noted, taking her time in removing her winter coat.

Tony motioned at her to make it quick. "Last I checked Morgan was still down on her afternoon nap so you and I have roughly two hours for some fun sexy activity."

Pepper looked at him. "You made me come home early for this?"

Tony sighed, took her coat, and hung it on the coat rack for her. He took her hand and pulled her to the garage. "It'll be fun! I put out the inflatable pool and filled it with warm, warm chocolate and marshmallows and we can lick it off—"

"Is it dark chocolate? 'Cause milk chocolate just—"

"70% dark."

"With almonds?"

"The almonds are for you, the marshmallows are for me."

Pepper kissed him square on the mouth. "I love you."

They finally reached the garage and the inflatable pool was there, filled with watery, warm dark chocolate and floating marshmallows just like Tony described... Except... Morgan was in it too.

Pepper faced Tony, hands immediately folding over her chest, a disbelieving grin on her face. "Sleeping, huh?"

"I swear to Friday, she was asleep!" Tony headed to his daughter and crouched beside the pool.

"Look, daddy! A chocolate swimming pool!"

"Yeah, I know. Daddy made it. For mommy," he added, glancing back at Pepper who was chuckling. He turned to Morgan again. "How did you—what are you—aren't you supposed to be napping?"

"Yep!" was all Morgan said before plucking a floating marshmallow and popping it in her mouth. "Hmm yummy!"

"You're having fun, huh?" He rose and turned to Pepper. "Raincheck?"

Pepper shrugged before unbuttoning her blouse.

Tony frowned at her. "What are you doing?"

Dropping her blouse to the ground, Pepper said, "Our daughter is having the time of her life in a chocolate swimming pool. I'm gonna join her." She unzipped her pencil skirt, removed her heels, and then stepped in the pool.

"Daddy?" asked Morgan, chocolate dripping from her chin.

What the hell, Tony thought, and removed his own shirt.

"Yay!" Pepper cried.

When Tony was down to his boxers, he cautioned the girls, "Make way because I'm gonna run for it!"

He ran. Morgan squealed. He jumped over the three-feet pool and landed badly on his knees, chocolate sloshing out of the pool and all over the garage floor.

Morgan jumped in Tony's arms before he had a chance to try out in pain.

"Daddy, save me! There's a Mommy Shark!"

"What? Oh no! A chocolate-eating Mommy Shark! Stay back, Shark!" Pepper came closer, baring her teeth. Morgan squealed again and erupted in giggles when Pepper started tickling her.

"Stop, stop!"

"What's the magic word?"

"Please!"

"Okay."

Pepper released her and Morgan immediately moved away from her parents and started gathering marshmallows.

Pepper wrapped her arms around Tony's waist and kissed him. She appreciated all the effort it took to pull this off and wanted to let him know despite the certain turn of events.

Tony pressed another kiss to her cheek and then to her forehead.

A giggle reminded the couple of their daughter who was just nearby.

Tony hummed contentedly at the sight. "Sex is fun and all, but do you know what's better?"

Pepper turned her head to him. "This?"

"This."


	14. Strangely Pleasant

**A/N: For Wallerby394 who asked for a Nebula & Morgan fanfic. This isn't Pepperony but it happens within those five years that I decided to simply include it in the series. So, this one takes place a few months after Tony comes home from Titan.**

**Summary: Family could be like this too, Nebula learned—giant trees and ugly sweaters, a collection of dead leaves and flowers stored in a box, birthday cakes and candles, turkey and thank yous.**

**Rating: T**

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" The chatter around the dining table slowly faded as everyone turned to their host.

Tony flashed them all a smile and said, "Good evening. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who came tonight—"

"It's not like we had a choice," Rocket cut in, rolling his eyes. He addressed the rest of the guests around him, namely Nebula, Pepper, Natasha, Bruce, Carol, Rhodey, Thor, Steve, and a teenaged kid he didn't know the name of. "My ship had a bomb in it and it would start a countdown every time I started the engine. The only thing deactivating it was his fingerprint."

"You blackmailed him into coming to your party?" Bruce asked Tony.

"It's not blackmail when the bomb's a dud," said Tony, "Besides, it was the only way I could get these two to stay." He flashed Rocket a smug smile. "May I continue?"

Rocket motioned with his hand (or maybe it was a paw) that he could.

"As I was saying, I know it hasn't really been a time to be thankful given all that's happened…" They all knew exactly what Tony meant by that, the memory of the battle and the ashes were still clear in their minds. "But it's Thanksgiving. And… if we don't do this, then _he_ wins. And I don't want him to win anymore than he's already had, so…" Tony cleared his throat and tried to sound a little bit more enthusiastic, "Anyway, this is Nebula and Rocket's first Thanksgiving."

Tony turned to the remaining Guardians of the Galaxy and explained, "Thanksgiving is this national holiday where we're all required by law to say something we're grateful for. So before we eat, we each get a turn and say the beginning phrase 'I'm grateful for...' And you say something you're grateful for. Got it?"

Before Rocket and Nebula could say that they got it, Tony resumed, "I'll start. I'm grateful for my wife and my kids. Plural because I got a little one on the way," he spared a soft smile at his pregnant wife, "that teenager over there that's currently stealing skin off that turkey, yeah, I'm talking to you. Stop that, Harley, would it kill you to wait a little? And also, to the Blue Meanie and Rocket Scientist over here. I gotta say, I've enjoyed teaching you two the Earthly ropes like a real father would."

"Can you hurry it up a little?" Harley asked, licking the turkey off his fingers.

"I'm done. Nebula, would you like to go next?"

Nebula glanced around at the faces that were suddenly all fixed on her and then back to Tony who was nodding at her encouragingly.

"Um…"

"You could say anything. Like, 'I'm grateful for extra memory space' or whatever."

"I am grateful for," Nebula started slowly, "that bomb being a fake."

Chuckles erupted all around.

"That's a good start," Tony said, clapping his hands, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. "Who's next?"

One by one, the remaining Avengers said something they were grateful for.

"I'm grateful to be here," said Steve, catching Tony's eye meaningfully.

Tony nodded his head at him. Message received.

It may not be much, but Tony inviting him was a step to reconciliation.

"Me too!" said Bruce, sighing in relief and glancing back and forth between Steve and Tony, "I mean, the two you not talking was just… really weird."

Tony raised a brow at Bruce.

"I'm just thankful you two are trying to be friends again." He turned to the nearest face he could pass the spotlight to. "Natasha?"

Natasha shook his head at him, trying to suppress a smile but failing. "I'm glad we're all together. What's left of us, anyway."

Everybody in the table nodded in agreement.

"I'm grateful to Nebula for taking care of Tony in that ship," said Pepper, "and to Carol for making sure he wasn't late to the wedding."

Carol waved it away with a "Thank you for inviting me."

"I'm grateful for the drinks," boomed Thor, already on his second glass. "Strong drinks, Stark."

"I'm grateful to still be able to walk. Thanks, Tones."

"Harley?"

"I'm grateful for the food which I hope I'll be able to eat soon?" Harley sent Tony a pleading look.

"Wait. Rocket still hasn't said what he's grateful for."

"I'm grateful for this to be over and I agree with the kid. Can we eat now?"

"Fine. Everyone, dig in!"

Not for the first time, Nebula thought about how the Avengers reminded her of the Guardians of the Galaxy. They fit together and complemented each other in various ways.

Looking at Natasha, Gamora's face flashed in her mind and after the meal, Nebula decided to take a walk outside to clear her head.

"You're not leaving without saying goodbye, are you?"

Nebula stopped dead in the middle of the lawn at the sound of Tony's voice and then turned around.

Tony slowly walked towards her, hands in his pocket.

She didn't reply to his question which caused Tony to say, "I'm glad you didn't tell Rocket it was a dud."

She looked at him, surprised.

"I'm not an idiot and _you're _not an idiot. You knew that bomb was fake the minute it started ticking." Tony smiled knowingly at her. "You _wanted _to stay."

Nebula didn't confirm his words but the small quirk of her lips told Tony he was right. Her cybernetic eye detected it as soon as she saw it.

Tony gazed out to the field in front of them while Nebula said, "You called me your kid."

"Yeah, I did. You have a problem with that?"

"I'm not a child."

"Of course, not. But that doesn't mean I don't see myself as your parental figure. I have a theory about that, that it's some kind of addiction or a calling, whatever you want to call it. I got on the Father Train with Peter and now… I can't get off." He shrugged. "And I don't want to." He patted Nebula on the back. "You're family now."

Nebula couldn't understand it—why anyone would want _her _in their family. She understood pain and betrayal and torture. But this? Thanksgiving? Turkey? Tony?

This was different. This was... strangely pleasant.

"I'll try to visit," she said.

"That's all I ask. And if you could, you know, bring me back one of those Zargnuts. I've developed a craving for it."

Nebula smiled.

…

Tony's hologram stood right in the middle of the ship. He was grinning broadly and looked very pleased with himself.

"Happy birthday!" he said to Nebula.

Rhodey had explained birthdays once. Something about celebrating the day you were born. Nebula was born, she was sure, but she couldn't remember when now. She had told Tony that. Had he forgotten?

"It is not my birthday," she told him.

"Oh, I know that. But since I don't know your birthday and you don't know your birthday, I decided to give you one. You know, as your default dad, I can say when your birthday is and your birthday is today. And I picked the date properly too. See, this time of the year, it isn't raining, not a single cloud in sight—"

"There's a firestorm raging outside," Nebula pointed out, glancing out the glass of the ship.

"Where _you _are? Well, I didn't account for space weather, jeez. I don't have weather powers. I'm not Thor. Anyway, I'm calling because it's your birthday and you're not here and we'll celebrate when you get back okay? When will that be again? Because you haven't plotted your leave. You _do _know you're entitled to those, right?"

Another hologram—Pepper's—walked past behind Tony's, saying, "Don't forget to sign the papers before you leave." Noticing Nebula, she stopped and greeted, "Hi, happy birthday!" Tony flashed Nebula a proud smile and wiggled his eyebrows. "We miss you! Tony, stop bothering Nebula. She's working. I have to go. Bye!"

With Pepper gone, Tony turned back to Nebula, "Do you need me to talk to your boss? Come on! You haven't seen Morgan yet. She's walking already! See? Look!" He went out of frame for a minute and came back, lifting Morgan by the armpits. The baby's legs started moving back and forth, a sign she wanted to be put down.

"See? She's trying to air-walk." He settled the baby back on the ground. "Might grow up to be an astronaut. Who knows?"

Nebula didn't look it but behind her deadpan expression, she was impressed that Tony never seemed to run out of enthusiasm. Even when they were stuck in space together with limited oxygen and he was fighting infection, she had never seen him crumble… not until he closed his eyes every night and went to sleep.

She wondered if he insisted on being like this because he disliked being the opposite—why bother being sad and unhappy when we have enough of that going around, she could almost hear him say.

"I'll see you in a month," she told him, filing a mental note to schedule a supply run for the return trip.

One month later, Nebula was blowing out numerous candles Tony stuck on top of a cake.

They told her to make a wish.

She wished for more birthdays but fewer candles.

…

Tony shoved a paper in Nebula's hands. "Okay. Here's the list of approved toys and food. She's gonna trick you into giving her chocolate but don't get drawn in by those baby browns." He kissed Morgan on the forehead and let her go. The toddler toddled away to the living room.

"What?" Nebula had stopped by to visit after debriefing with Natasha at the compound. But now she was thinking that she might have stopped by for something else.

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? You're babysitting your siblings. I told Pepper you volunteered. If she calls to check up, please don't tell her the truth."

"Which is?"

"That I forgot to call in a sitter and at this time during Valentine's Day, I'm not gonna get one even if I offered all my money."

"What?" Nebula asked again, eyes blinking, noticing for the first time that Tony was dressed in the human definition of formal.

"Oh, I forgot. It's Valentine's Day! It's an Earth holiday where St. Valentine—I don't really know what he did to merit being called a saint—decreed that I have to go and romance my wife and she's gonna do the same to me, so on, so forth. Short version: I'm going on a date and I'm leaving the kids with you. Please don't kill Harley. I know he can be annoying, but it's hell week for him. He's got finals and everything. If you need help with something, ask Harley." He looked over his shoulder and cried, "Harley, if you need something, ask Nebula!"

There was a "'Kay!" coming from the kitchen. Harley, Nebula thought.

"Thanks! Bye!"

And then Tony was gone.

Nebula decided to check on Harley first. He had his head bent low over a book and it didn't look fun (she knew what that meant now).

"Hey."

Harley looked up, said "Hey," and then went back to his book. A few seconds later, he looked at her again, eyes wide. "HEY! Can you do me a favor?"

Nebula didn't know what babysitting was but it seemed like any other day but without Tony and Pepper in the house.

Nebula, Harley, and Morgan spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden. Harley needed help with learning fighting terms for his History test and had asked Nebula to spar with him.

That was fun.

Morgan, meanwhile, spent the time yanking flowers from the bushes and running over to give them to Nebula or Harley.

"They will need soil and water, Morgan," said Nebula while Harley laughed and explained, "She wants you to have them. If she likes something, she'll give it to you because she thinks you'll like it too."

"Oh."

When Morgan came back a second time, she handed Nebula dead leaves that she gathered from the ground.

After the leaves, came the stones.

In the privacy of the garden with siblings Nebula didn't know she would ever gain, Nebula let a smile show on the surface. Her hands that used to be given weapons to hold, were now being given trinkets—mere trinkets that were meant to fascinate instead of to kill.

Nebula kept them all in a box on the ship.

…

There was a tree inside Tony's house.

It was large and almost hit the ceiling.

There were small objects hanging on its branches. A star, a ball, a man with a beard that Morgan kept saying was Santa. There was even a sock with Nebula's name on it hanging atop the fireplace.

Nebula thought back to how it was that she even came to spend Christmas with the Stark Family.

"Last year you were in a volcano," Tony had been saying, "the year before that, you were in space. The year before _that, _you were—where _were _you three years ago? You know what, don't answer that. You're coming over for Christmas."

"Christmas?" Nebula asked, the word sounding foreign in her mouth.

Rocket put his hands on his hips. "Let me guess, another national holiday where we're required by your humie laws to say 'I'm Christmas for bla bla bla.'"

"Of course, not! We don't say bla bla bla. Christmas is a holiday where we give each other gifts."

"You willingly give stuff away?" Rocket, who disliked giving stuff away (and did it grudgingly when he had to), was appalled. "Why would you do that?"

"Because it's in the spirit of giving. You know, being selfless."

"Bah!" said Rocket and stalked away, leaving Nebula and Tony alone.

"_You're_ coming, right?"

And she did. She came.

Her first Christmas.

They were all gathered around the tree—Pepper, Harley, Tony, Nebula, and Morgan—wearing ugly Christmas sweaters that Pepper chose for them.

"Do you like this one?" she had asked Nebula, holding up a sweater when they went shopping a week ago.

"It's hideous."

"That's the point!"

"Then it is not hideous."

They were opening presents now, wrapper strewn all around them. Nebula received gifts from the family and had gotten them presents too: Zargnuts for Tony, a necklace for Pepper, an ugly bunny for Morgan, and a knife for Harley (which Tony had promptly taken away).

"Morgan has something for you," Pepper said to Nebula, a twinkle in her eye. She called Morgan over, "Give Nebula your gift, honey."

Morgan gladly abandoned her newest toy and skipped over to her mother to get the said present. Then, she went to Nebula and handed her a small box.

"Open, open, open!"

"Okay," Nebula said.

She tore the paper away (it was fun hearing it go _rriiippp_). Underneath was a box and inside was a child's bracelet… or it looked like one. It had colorful but mismatched beads.

Nebula loved it.

"I made it!" said Morgan and raised her wrist up at Nebula to show a similar bracelet adorning it. "See? Same!"

Nebula smiled openly, whispering a faint, "Thank you," to the little girl who considered Nebula a sister and gave her a bracelet to prove it.

Nebula and Gamora didn't have bracelets that bonded them together. They had battle scars and pain.

But with Morgan, with the Starks… it wasn't like that.

Family could be like this too, Nebula learned—giant trees and ugly sweaters, a collection of dead leaves and flowers stored in a box, birthday cakes and candles, turkey and thank yous.

Nebula slid the bracelet around her wrist. It clashed terribly with the blue of her skin but she didn't mind.

"Thank you," she repeated a little bit louder this time.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Kindly tell me of any errors or typos. :)


	15. Morgan Phelps

**A/N: This is for AliaVita who requested a pregnancy fic. Morgan is clearly still in the womb in this one. **

**Summary: Tony and Pepper are pregnant.**

**Rating: T **

Tony knew conceiving a baby would be a challenge. But he never met a challenge he couldn't solve.

Except...

"I can't believe that despite all the things you've subjected _your _body to, _I'm_ the one who's infertile," Pepper complained once they were in the car.

...except this wasn't the sort of challenge Tony could fix with a wrench and screwdriver.

"Honey, you're not infertile—"

Pepper snorted. "I have a hostile uterus. No baby is gonna want to set up shop up in here."

The doctor had explained that Pepper's cervical fluid was so thick that Tony's sperm couldn't swim through it or survive the trip.

Tony entertained the possibility of building Iron Man suits for his swimmers when Pepper said, "Maybe we should just adopt."

Tony started the car. "Maybe. But the doctor gave us meds. And he's got our sex life on a whole schedule with shots to boot! And you can count on me to stick to that schedule. On the dot. Everyday. Sex is something I'm great at, you know."

Pepper laughed and Tony was a little happy he was able to make her smile.

...

Pepper broke the news that she was pregnant by giving Tony a replica of the Academy Award trophy that said Best Dad.

"Are you serious?" Tony asked, grinning madly.

She nodded.

Tony cleared his throat, clutched the trophy to his chest, and tearfully said, "I would like to thank the winning Olympic sperm, Morgan Phelps. Mom and Dad are very proud—"

Pepper tossed a pillow at him. "Don't make it weird."

"Okay." Tony put the trophy aside and sat beside his wife. "Let's not wait to tell people. I want everyone to know about Morgan Phelps right now."

"I don't know. We could miscarry or—"

"No, we're not going to."

"Tony, I'm serious. Just because we got pregnant doesn't mean that my hostile uterus—"

"I'm Iron Man."

Pepper gave him a look. "Okay, Iron Man, what does that have to do with—"

"I take care of hostile situations all the time."

"Do you mean _hostage_ situations?"

"Yes but also hostile threats. We'll be fine. Please. I'm just so happy! I want everyone to know. It's like the gospel. It's good news!"

"Are you comparing our daughter to Jesus?" Pepper laughed.

"I get it, you're scared, you don't want people to know until you're sure. So, let's wait a month."

"A month? Normally, people wait three months—"

"Yes, but how else are we gonna explain all your puking sessions?"

"Puking sessions?"

"Morning sickness. At least tell your bosses."

"Fine."

Tony showed the trophy off to the board members (AKA Pepper's bosses) a month later.

Pepper didn't want him to bring it but Tony had insisted saying that it was the only award he cared about and also the only trophy he would flash in everybody's faces.

He made the board members pass it all around so they could get a good look at his trophy while Pepper announced the good news.

"Tony and I are expecting our first child—" Pepper was saying when Tony corrected her. "Children." Pepper sent him a confused expression. Tony explained, "I'm still holding out on triplets."

Pepper took him by the arm and pulled him back. She hissed, "Triplets?"

"Yeah. I've been thinking we can name them Marks I, II, and III." He broke out laughing at his own joke and Pepper rolled her eyes. Turning back to the board members she said, "Ignore him. It's just one child."

"One as in the only one we'll ever have?"

"One as in singular."

The board wore amused expressions on their faces, too used to this banter between the couple. They expressed their felicitations and Tony soaked it all in.

He never told Pepper, but he was secretly more relieved than he dared to say because he was starting to get sick of the sex which was something he never thought would happen (it just wasn't fun when there's all that pressure to knock up his wife).

The relief was quickly taken over by worry and an overwhelming feeling of uselessness because Pepper's too nauseous to work and Tony can't fix morning sickness.

She would puke and sleep in intervals and all Tony could do was refill their stock of ginger ale and keep away any scents that triggered her namely his aftershave, his shampoo, and eggs.

"How's Pepper?" Rhodey asked him one time.

"She's pregnant. How do you think?" Tony snapped and Rhodey raised a brow. "Why do you never ask about me? Why do people never ask about expectant fathers? I get it. Mothers have to go and endure all that stuff and nobody ever thinks about the father. But you know what? I have to sit there and watch her eat her meal, throw it all back up and then sleep and then repeat and I can't do anything! My voice gives her a headache, I hold her and she's too warm, I crank up the AC and it's the freaking arctic. And also sometimes my deodorant makes her want to puke so I've been experimenting and I have like five barely used deodorants that didn't pass her test. What am I gonna do with five barely used deodorants, Rhodey?" Rhodey shrugged. "So I've been relegated to the garage, trying to whip up a scentless deodorant while my wife and I talk using the intercom. That's how I'm doing. Thanks for asking."

Rhodey backed away a little. "Okay, okay. I get it. You're _both_ pregnant and moody."

"I just want to do something to help, you know."

"Staying out of her way might help."

"That's what she said," Tony grumbled. He hated being helpless. If he could do anything to ease Pepper's pregnancy at all, he would do it.

...

Tony got exactly what he wished for when Pepper entered the second trimester. She was strong enough to get back to work again which meant that she was in the mood to entertain all her cravings.

Mandy called him out of the blue, one afternoon. "There's a little, um, situation at the office."

Pepper's assistant never called him and especially not over 'situations' because Mandy was like Pepper 2.0 and handled 'situations' secretly. In fact, she handled them before they could turn into situations. So the fact that she called Tony was a little unnerving.

"What situation?"

"She's hungry and she's crying."

"I see. I'll be on my way."

"I want strawberries," Pepper said angrily the minute Tony walked in her office. She didn't appear to be crying anymore but she was looking at a picture of strawberries on her computer screen because eating the real thing would mean breaking out in hives and her throat closing up.

"But you're—"

"I know!" she snapped. "I can barely even remember the taste of strawberries but _your_ baby wants some. Clearly she got this from your side of the chromosomes."

There was a lot of blame getting thrown in Tony's direction too.

"How about we get an alternative?" he offered, sitting across from her, "Blueberries sound good?"

"Blueberries are _not_ strawberries," Pepper replied through grit teeth.

"Okay. Raspberries? Raspberries are red and sort of sound like strawberries. Baby won't know the difference."

Pepper narrowed her eyes into slits and she was as scary as she was gorgeous.

"Okay, I have an idea. How about I eat the strawberries for you? I'm the dad, that's got to count for something, right? Like some sort of daddy-baby mental connection?"

Pepper looked thoughtful and said, "That strangely makes sense."

Tony broke into a grin. "Yeah?"

They went home as soon as they could and Tony ended up eating a box of strawberries in bed with Pepper.

Lying on his back with his head on Pepper's lap and chewing a strawberry in his mouth, he addressed Pepper's baby bump, "It's sweet and sour which is how strawberries should taste. If the strawberry is _just_ sweet then that's artificial flavoring. A strawberry is supposed to be sour and as soon as you're out of there, I'm gonna teach you all about how fruits should taste. You'll have assorted fruits for snacks when you go to school, some one hundred percent all natural fruit juice care of Dum-E. We can even make juice pops. Those are great. No preservatives which passes all of Mom's requirements for a healthy meal." At Pepper's slap to his thigh, he amended, "Okay, change of plans. Mommy said juice pops are apparently not meal replacements." His face contorted and he gaped at the bump. "What did you say? What do you mean she's not the boss of me? Mommy is absolutely the boss of us. Can you believe this, Pep? Barely out of the womb and she's already acting out in rebellion."

...

Pepper took to the remaining months of pregnancy like she did everything else—with deadly efficiency.

She exercised regularly, ate the right amounts, listened to the right music, read all the books with the same speed she read through contracts (translation: very fast) and still had the time to lock in a huge business deal. Tony was pretty sure the baby was going to come out dressed in a suit and holding a clipboard.

The best part was that with Pepper no longer heaving in a toilet bowl, Tony could actually be near her and take in how beautiful his pregnant wife was.

Her hair was redder, her skin was brighter, her cheeks more flushed. She looked like an absolute goddess even when wearing nothing but a pair of underwear and Tony's t-shirt to bed because her own pajamas couldn't fit her anymore.

They debuted the pregnancy at UNICEF's Snowflake Ball. They walked down the red carpet, Tony with his hand on the small of her back and his other hand holding her purse. He felt like an accessory next to her, like he was simply her plus-one and he didn't want it any other way. Her work with UNICEF was _her_ baby, so when the photographers started clamoring for photos, Tony temporarily left her side and let the light shine on her for a change.

He joined the throng of cameramen and started taking pictures too.

"You're doing amazing, Mommy!" he cried out much to Pepper's amusement.

He joined her in the photos towards the end of the run. He got down on his knees and kissed her stomach while Pepper laughed. She pulled him back up afterwards and Tony hugged her from behind, cradling her stomach with their entwined hands.

Looking over her shoulder, Pepper gave Tony a kiss which was captured on camera. He filed a mental note to purchase that photo on Getty.

He felt Pepper shiver and he rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "You cold?"

She nodded and whispered, "My nipples are so frozen they're gonna fall off."

"Want me to warm them up for you?"

She elbowed his side as they laughed, walking in the hall.

...

"We need to start thinking of names."

"We _have_ a name—"

Pepper sent him a pointed look. "She is not going to be called Mark I."

"I was kidding! I'm kidding. Come on, it's Morgan. It's always Morgan."

"Just Morgan?"

"Right. A second name. Hmm. Let me sleep on that."

A couple more "sleeps" later and Morgan was born.

Pepper was asleep when the nurses handed Tony a form to fill out her name. So, Tony wrote down Morgan just like they agreed and also added the second name he'd been thinking about. He didn't think Pepper would mind.

"Ho? HO?" Pepper asked, voice raised in anger. Tony didn't think she had that much energy left after the labor but apparently, she did. "You named our daughter Ho?"

"I thought you would approve!"

"Why would I like Ho as our daughter's second name?" She was already imagining the jokes.

"Because it was Yinsen's first name and I figured you'd want to honor the man who saved my life!"

"Honey, that's a beautiful gesture but we're the only two people who know about Yinsen and everybody else won't think that when they find out her name is Morgan Ho!"

"So I'm thinking that you want me to take it back—"

"TONY!"

...

_ TonyStark tweeted: Mommy and baby are healthy. Morgan H Stark says hello._

Attached was a photo of Pepper sitting up and holding what looked to be a baby swaddled in cloth. The infant's face couldn't be seen from the angle, though, but nobody could miss the smile on Pepper's face.

...

Tony enjoyed toying with everybody who asked what the H in Morgan's name meant.

Sometimes he said it meant Happy because "that's how she makes me feel." Hogan was on a high horse for days before Tony went and tweeted that H was for "Hope" because he didn't think he would ever find healing after the Decimation.

And then there was one time Tony said on live television that H was for Harry Potter because his daughter was like the Chosen One among his sperm. Pepper didn't like that too much.

Everyone eventually just stopped asking questions because between Morgan Harry, Morgan Heart, Morgan Hamburgers, and Morgan Himalayas, they knew they would never get a straight answer from him.

But Morgan would be told the meaning of her name when she was older. Until then...

"Here's a real strawberry just like Daddy promised." Tony scooped out some strawberry puree and fed the baby.

Pepper stood by, looking a little worried.

"Relax! She's not allergic. She likes it, see?" Morgan made some sounds causing some strawberry juice to run down her chin.

"Tasty, right?" Tony asked Morgan, "You want some more? Okay. Here comes the Iron Man." He imitated the sound of his thrusters and made the spoon swoop around the baby before landing it in her mouth.

"She's really hungry," Pepper commented when Morgan tried to grab the hovering spoon.

Tony grinned, letting her hold it. "Well of course. Hungry _is_ her middle name."

Pepper rolled her eyes.

**A/N: I saw a gif of RDJ making that Marks I, II, and III joke. I have absolutely no idea if he made that quip for real or if it was a manip, in any case, I don't own that joke. ****Also, I have nothing against the first/last name Ho (it's common where I'm from). But Tony made that Ho joke in Iron Man 3 so here we are. **


	16. Cat-Vengers

**Summary: Tony adopts eight cats and doesn't know what to do with them. This is written from an outsider's POV. **

**Rating: T**

* * *

It was a slow day. It was always a slow day. With good reason. Not a lot of people go to a bar at 8 in the morning. Usually, there would be a lunch crowd but it was too early for anyone to be drinking or going to a bar.

Mark's morning customers were usually joggers who came in for breakfast or a bottle of water, but it was Christmas season and the combination of New York snow meant that even joggers were few at this time.

The bell hanging atop the door rung as it swung open.

Mark looked up from his phone and greeted the guy.

He was a clean-shaven man in jeans, a Black Sabbath t-shirt, and sunglasses. He wore a thick bomber jacket, and a silver beanie on his head that said Princess.

He didn't take them off even when he sat at by the counter table.

"What can I get you?" Mark asked.

The man looked at the drinks behind Mark and shook his head. "Just a waffle. Gluten free if you have it."

"We have just the regular kind. Blueberries."

The man nodded. "Just that then."

Mark alerted the cook to the order and got to preparing a glass of complementary water.

The man deeply sighed as Mark sat the glass in front of him.

Mark raised a brow. Being a bartender also meant being some sort of therapist. "Rough morning?"

"The worst."

"Is it the missus?" It was always the wife with these men.

And sure enough, the man nodded. "She left."

"I'm so sorry."

The man looked at Mark for a minute, head slightly cocked in what could be confusion but Mark couldn't see his eyes behind the glasses. Then, the man said, "Oh, she didn't leave as in leave me. She left for a business trip and I miss her."

Mark's two eyebrows shot up. Well, if that wasn't the most annoying shit to say to someone who was single, then what was?

"You two newly weds?" the bartender slash owner asked because this was some kind of newly wed behavior.

"Naah. Been together for more than a decade, married for four."

Mark's eyes widened. Ten years of dating. Talk about slow burn.

"Wow. This your first time apart?"

"Oh, no. She travels all the time. Like once a month, probably. I used to go with her. Or rather she used to go with me as my assistant. But now that she's the boss she goes everywhere and leaves me behind with the robots and the three year-old. But it's fun when your best friend is a toddler, you know." He ran a hand over his jaw which upon closer inspection had a few cuts on it. "My daughter shaved me last night 'cause I had to distract her somehow."

"Bad idea."

"I know. But not as bad as the fact that I adopted eight cats. And I don't even like cats!"

Mark frowned. Who adopts _eight_ cats? "Why?"

"Because they go on everywhere and get fur on everything, and I have stuff around the house that don't need cat or fur on them. And do you know how deadly a combination a three year-old and eight cats make?"

Mark could only imagine. "No, I mean why did you even adopt eight cats?"

"Because my wife is 98% of my impulse control. In hindsight, my butler _did_ tell me not to do it, but I was like what the hell, right?" Butler? Was this man some kind of English royalty or something? The said man was oblivious to Mark's thoughts and continued, "It'd make my kid happy. So, I got the cats and now I don't know where to put the cats. Hey, you wanna cat?"

Mark hesitated for a bit. He's always wanted a cat. But running a bar everyday didn't really allow for having pets. "I've always wanted one but I got a business that needs looking after. Not that cats need looking after. They're very independent."

Mark heard the bell behind him ring, signaling the order of waffles was ready. He turned, got it, and sat it in front of the man.

The man groaned and started digging in, speaking with a mouth full of waffle, "My wife's gonna kill me when she comes back and there are eight cats all over the place." He swallowed, drank water, and said, "She's gonna hate me even more cause I didn't do the potty training while she was gone."

"Cats just need a sandbox and they bathe themselves."

"Oh, I meant my kid. But now that you mentioned it, I got to potty train eight cats too?"

Here Mark was dying for a cat and this guy just goes ahead and adopts eight by accident. He shook his head at him. "I'm still trying to understand how you could _impulsively_ adopt eight cats."

"Because." The man took a bite and then continued, "My daughter watched Lion King and wanted a lion. But no matter how much I tell her she can be whoever she wants to be, she's still not Princess Jasmine—"

"Princess Jasmine had a tiger," Mark pointed out.

"Whatever. The point is, she asked for a lion and that wouldn't be very responsible of me to get her a lion so I figured, why not get something _like_ a lion? And according to my calculations, eight cats make up one lion. And I was feeling pretty proud of myself for coming up with that solution—"

"That was not a solution."

"Well, I know that _now! _Cause they're mean little demons. One of them won't get off my robot and now my idiot robot is all whiny that a cat is perched on his head. And my daughter likes to pretend she's a cat now and only chooses to say meow and to lick stuff. This is my life. My wife is on vacation and I have to deal with eight cats, a toddler pretending to be a cat, and two robots who are scared of the cats."

So the man had a butler and robots? This was probably the most outrageous story Mark's heard on the job.

The man had finished the waffle now and was frowning at his empty plate, probably thinking about the fact that he now needed to go back to a house filled with cats.

"Maybe you could give them back?" Mark suggested.

"I tried that. My butler said I can't give them back but I can transfer adoption files to someone else. These cats need a home." He sighed heavily.

"Why don't you open a Cat Café. It's bringing in all the kids these days." Mark had always wanted to open one.

The man sat up straight. "That's a thing?"

"Oh, yeah. Kids go in your place and drink coffee all to pet a cat. Although, you'd gotta have an in-house vet and all the nannies and stuff so the cats don't scratch the kids or when they do, there can be immediate intervention. And some cats can be local celebrities. You give them names, post pictures of the dumb shit they do. That'll get the customers in."

The man drummed his fingers on the counter. "That's not a bad idea. I could name all eight cats after the Avengers. Dress them up too. And they can all wear capes. That is if they don't attack it first. "

Mark nodded, liking the idea of Avengers themed Cat Café. "That'll work! Like Captain Pussy or something like that."

The man laughed. When he had caught his breath, he said, "Hey, how would you like to own a cafe?"

He said it like one would ask if Mark would like some water or juice.

Mark, because he'd been dying to have a Cat Café but also couldn't possibly accept one from a man he barely knew, stammered. "Oh, no, man, I would love to but that's—"

"You can put it up on one of my properties. I'll handle capital. I got all the cats. It can have your name on the sign. You get all the sales. All you gotta do is pay me rent and promise to name at least one of the cats Spider-Meow."

"I—" Mark blinked and tried to find the man's eyes behind the shades. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah! Spider-Meow would be the cat that's already made a home on my chandelier even though I have no idea how he got up there. Freakin' cats got sticky powers."

Mark, incredulous, looked at the man again. "I meant about the offer! Look, I don't know who you are—"

"You don't need to know who I am. All that matters is that you know more about cats than I do and can take care of them better. Also, I think, I might be developing asthma from the fur so if you don't take them I might die."

"What is this gonna cost me?" Mark asked because this had to have a catch, right?

The man shook his head. "Well, you might probably have to close down the bar, unless you get someone else to run this place while you're running the Cat Café. But like I said, revenue and cats are all yours."

"You know what, what the hell." Mark shrugged. It was Christmas. Maybe the man was in a giving mood. If he was pulling some kind of prank, Mark was sure being highly entertained.

"Great!" He extended a gloved hand to Mark and they shook on the deal. "You just saved me from having to explain all this to my wife." He slid out a hundred from his wallet and slapped it on the table. Then he lowered his shades to the tip of his nose and eyed Mark's name tag. "My lawyers will be coming down to see you Mr. Mark...?"

"Logan," Mark answered, trying to remember why the man's eyes looked so familiar.

"Mr. Logan. It's good doing business with you."

And with that he left, leaving Mark to wonder if that had even happened at all.

But there was an empty plate in front of him with a Benjamin Franklin on the side and by noon, a man in a suit came in and asked to see Mark regarding the Cat Café idea.

"I'm Mr. Henny, I work for Tony Stark."

"I'm sorry, you work for who?"

"Tony Stark. He asked me to come down and transfer adoption papers as well as draw up the contract of lease—"

Mark had droned out everything else the lawyer had to say because that man with the robots and the butler and the propensity to do ridiculous things without his wife around to stop him was Tony Stark? Iron Man?

"Mr. Logan?"

Logan snapped his head back to face the lawyer. "Yeah, sorry. I was just—Iron Man just gave me a business to run. And eight cats."

"Yeah, he does that on occasion."

Mark gaped. "On occasion?"

"I hear it usually happens when his wife's not around," the lawyer shrugged. "But then again, Tony Stark does whatever he wants to do. With or without his wife's supervision. Here's a list of all eight cats and their breeds."

Mark accepted a piece of paper and found himself staring at his new children.

Eight cats.

And one of them's already been christened Spider-Meow.

In the back of his mind, Mark was already thinking of some cat-themed names for the cat-vengers because this was definitely going to be that kind of Cat Café.

* * *

**A/N: I just wanted a fic where Tony said Pepper was 98% of his impulse control and this was it. **

**A/N 2: To the guest reviewer asking me to update my fics, Extended Family has been marked complete and will not be updated any longer (it only focuses on Tony's family and the OG Avengers, so characters like Dr. Strange were not included since Tony barely even spent time with him) and I'm afraid I don't have a fic on "met at mit." However, here's an update to Five Years With You. Hope you enjoyed!**


	17. Threesome

**Summary: Pepper and Tony share a bed. Plot twist: Rhodey's in there too. **

**Rating: T**

* * *

Tony didn't know why he woke up that night.

He wasn't a particularly light sleeper nor a heavy one. Maybe it was because with Morgan barely a year old, he woke at the barest creak of the floorboards, but it didn't matter why. What mattered was that he _did_ wake up and there was someone standing at the doorway of his bedroom.

It was a man by the look of his shadow and Tony could hear Pepper's words from last night. They had watched a horror movie and she said, "Now, I feel like we're going to get murdered in this lake house and nobody is going to hear us scream because our neighbor is a lake away!"

He had brushed off her post-horror movie paranoia, saying, "Nobody is going to get past Friday and did you forget that you're married to a superhero?"

All that ran through Tony's mind in seconds. Somehow somebody _had_ gotten past Friday and now they might get murdered. His racing heartbeat pounded in his ears.

"Tony," the shadow whispered, taking a couple steps into the room and stopping right at the foot of the bed, moonlight shone on the man's face.

"Rhodey?" Tony glanced at his bedside table. It read 2 AM. "What the hell, man?" he hissed because the girls were asleep and he didn't want to wake them. "You scared me! What are you doing here at this damn hour?"

Rhodey seemed to be thinking of what to say, like there was something heavy on his mind but couldn't put it to words. He eventually settled on "It's nothing."

"_Nothing?_" whispered Tony, slowly sitting up. "You snuck in my house and—"

"It's not sneaking when you technically gave me a key."

Tony rolled his eyes. It was too early in the damn morning for semantics. "For emergency purposes and you're here."

"I should just go. I'm sorry I scared you."

Tony sighed. "No, clearly you needed to see me. What's up?"

Rhodey crossed his arms. "You already said it… I needed to see you."

Tony's eyes softened as he understood what his friend was implying. It had only been a year since the Decimation but that didn't mean that everybody was over it.

Rhodey was there in Wakanda. He told Tony about fighting four armed aliens, about searching for Sam, seeing Vision's gray body like the printer had run out of colored ink, dust billowing in the wind around him.

James Rhodes was a hardened air force pilot. He had killed men before, seen bloodshed, faced a fire-breathing mad man, but sometimes... Sometimes, even James Rhodes had nightmares and the way he was looking at Tony tonight told the latter that it was bad enough for Rhodey to make the trip all the way to the lake house and sneak into Tony's room just so he can look at Tony, see him alive and breathing.

"And I've seen you, so that's that." But Rhodey made no move to leave.

Tony took pity on him and scooted closer to his wife who was thankfully too asleep to notice they had a guest. He softly said, "Get over here."

Rhodey hesitated. "What? No." He gestured to Pepper. He wasn't just gonna go and join them in bed. There was a line drawn somewhere. "I'll just be in the guest room."

"There isn't a mattress in there yet."

"So, I'll sleep on the couch downstairs."

"Not with those legs! Are you crazy? Besides, Pepper will kill me if she found out I let you sleep on the couch."

"She'll kill _you_ if she finds out I'm in your bed."

"It's a big bed. There's room." Tony patted the spot beside him.

Rhodey glanced at Pepper. "That's your wife, man."

"So? She's asleep. Relax."

Rhodey shifted on one foot then another. Tony could see him trying to work out the pros and cons to this arrangement and Tony's voice box was getting strained from all the audible whispering.

Tony waved him over again. "Stop hesitating and get in here, honeybear."

Finally, Rhodey gave in. He kicked off his shoes, removed his leg brace, and then hefted himself under the covers beside Tony. He lay on his back, fingers intertwined on his stomach. "This is weird," he whispered after a moment.

"It's nothing we haven't done before." Tony and Rhodey have been through a lot and that included having seen each other naked and driving each other to the hospital after a very wild college party.

"But now, we're doing it with your wife."

Tony ignored that and instead nudged Rhodey on his side. "Do you want to talk about it?"

They both stared at the ceiling, blinking silently into the night. And then, Rhodey said, "Danvers hauled the ship back to the compound but she was too late. Oxygen had run out and you were already dead."

Tony reached out for Rhodes' hand. "I'm not," he wanted to say, but he knew that sometimes just being there was enough.

...

Pepper got up to pee at around five in the morning and when she crawled back in bed, she slung an arm around Tony's side. Her hand landed on his glutes as well as on another pair of glutes.

Huh.

Pepper cracked open an eye and blearily looked over at Tony's side of the bed.

There was another person in bed with them. She opened her eyes wide, looking intently now, sleep dissipating the longer she looked.

Was that Rhodey? What was he doing in bed? He and Tony were literally butt-cheek to butt-cheek.

Virginia gently shook Tony who grumbled.

She shook him again, whispering, "Tony."

His eyes were closed but he replied, "What?"

"There's a person sharing our bed."

"Yeah. Don't worry. It's not a serial killer. I invited him. Thought you wouldn't mind."

Thought she wouldn't mind? What was this, a dinner party? "You what?"

Tony finally opened his eyes, yawning. "He had a nightmare," he said, looking his wife in the eyes and hoping she'd understand. "He needed to know I was alive. I couldn't just send him home."

Pepper licked her lips. "Of course not." She looked sympathetically at their friend. He looked to be sleeping so she might as well try too. She lay back down, face-to-face with Tony. After a few moments, she said, "It's weird."

Tony brushed her hair away from her face. "Trust me, he didn't want to make it awkward—"

"No, I meant that it's weird knowing he gets nightmares too. I just never thought he'd have them, you know. Because he's Rhodey and he's always this tough guy. But it makes sense."

"He wasn't trained for _this_. None of us were." He rubbed Pepper's arm soothingly. "I have to admit, that it's kind of a relief knowing I'm not the only one who's a little messed up. I heard Thor even refuses to leave his house."

"Well, you're doing fine." Pepper caressed his cheek endearingly. "It's been a while since you had an episode."

Tony still had them, he just knew how to handle them better.. and hide them. "Yeah but that's because I have you and Morgan grounding me. And you guys are more than distractions; you two save me everyday. I look at you and can't believe how lucky I am."

Pepper began to giggle silently, her body shaking as she tried to suppress it.

Tony frowned. "Why are you laughing? I just made that whole heartfelt speech and you're laughing?"

"It's not that. It's just... Rhodey's in our bed."

Tony started to laugh too.

"I knew when I married you, Rhodey was part of the deal, but this is just so amusing."

"Now, all we need is Happy to get in here."

The image of all four of them cramped in this bed, even if it _was_ a Super King, made the couple laugh harder.

"Ssh," Pepper said, wiping tears from her eyes. "I don't know why I thought we'd ever be a normal married couple."

"Really?" Tony cocked an eye. "You want to trade _this_ for normal?"

Pepper shook her head. "Not for the world." She kissed Tony softly on the lips and rested her forehead against his. "I love you."

"I love you too." He whispered back, kissing her again only this time it wasn't as soft. He started moving the blanket away while Pepper moaned her hesitation.

"Tony," but Tony kissed her again. "We shouldn't." Tony slid a cold hand under her shirt. Pepper broke the kiss, pulling his hand out.

"We have a guest," she reminded him, licking her lips.

Her husband only smirked, like he was willing to rise to the challenge. "So? He's sleeping." He moved to kiss her but Pepper looked away, he got her cheek instead.

She gave him a look. "I'm not having sex with you while Rhodey's in bed with us."

"He won't notice. He's a heavy sleeper." As if on cue, Rhodey snored. Tony nodded at his direction. "See? Oblivious."

"It's not about him not knowing. It's about respecting his presence. You know how he is when we kiss in front of him. He's gonna be so embarrassed."

It was sort of a running joke between the three of them that Pepper and Tony just couldn't stop kissing in front of Rhodey. Tony took it upon himself to make sure he kissed Pepper in front of Rhodey as frequently and as passionately as he could make it while Rhodey made it a habit to half-heartedly complain as loudly as he could.

"Okay, fine." Tony relaxed beside her. "But when he wakes up, can I tell him we had sex while he was asleep?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "No."

"Can I refer to this night as the time we had a threesome?"

"No." She kissed him, light and chaste because he _did _manage to restrain himself.

Rhodey groaned, stirring.

Pepper immediately shoved Tony away at the same time Rhodey sleepily said, "Ugh, get a room."

Tony scoffed and elbowed his friend. "We did. But you're in it."

Rhodey seemed to realize where he was and he sat up. He looked around. "Oh, right. My bad. I'm sorry. I should go." He started to rise but Pepper stopped him.

"No, don't go! Tony promises to behave himself." Tony laughed while Pepper, got out of bed and put on a robe. "Stay for breakfast."

Tony slung an arm and leg over Rhodey, trapping him. There wasn't much Rhodey could do without his leg brace on, anyway. "Staaaay, Rhodeyyyy."

Rhodey chuckled, pushing him away half-heartedly. "Fine, fine."

Tony planted a wet kiss on Rhodey's cheek who groaned and said, "Brush your teeth!"

Pepper laughed at the two best friends and paused by the doorway to ask, "Tony, do you want pancakes or waffles?"

"Waffles," Tony said, his cheek resting atop Rhodey's head.

"Rhodey?"

"Waffles, please, Pep. Thank you."

"Okay. Now, you boys behave yourselves too because the baby is still sleeping and I want it to stay that way."

"Right-o, Mommy. You're the best. I love you!"

With a quick "Love you!" back, Pepper disappeared down the hall.

Tony expectantly looked at Rhodey who was having the time of his life enjoying Tony's Egyptian cotton sheets. Tony kneed Rhodey who frowned at him, confused. "What?"

"Aren't you gonna say 'I love you' to my wife?"

"Why would I do that? She's _your _wife."

"Who's making you a waffle and didn't kick you out of bed. A little sign of affection wouldn't hurt, you ungrateful swine."

"I said 'Thank you!'"

"But she said 'I love you' and you're supposed to say 'I love you' back."

"She was saying that to _you_!"

"She was saying it to the both of us!"

"Are you seriously making me—" Tony nodded. "Fine." Rhodey lifted himself up a fraction and yelled. "I love you, Pep! You're the greatest best friend-in-law a best friend could have!" He turned to Tony. "That good?"

"Yeah, but a best friend-in-law isn't a thing."

"Of course it is. It's—"

They were interrupted by the sound of Morgan crying through the baby monitor.

Tony hit Rhodey again who glared at him.

Tony got out of bed and headed for the door. He shot Rhodey a look of disappointment. "What is wrong with you! You had to shout."

Rhodey sighed and collapsed back into the bed. At least he had a nice sleep. It may have only been three hours of shut-eye but it was still a full one that didn't involve seeing Tony's face contorted in agony as he tried to breathe Oxygen in a ship that didn't have any.

Tony came back to the room, cradling Morgan who had gone quiet. He set Morgan beside Rhodey who cooed, "Hey, little girl. You're okay. Uncle Rhodey's sorry he woke you." He kissed Morgan's head while Tony continued his lecture on the right tone of voice to use in the Stark household.

When Pepper came back up to the bedroom to call the two men down to breakfast, she found Rhodey and Tony asleep with Morgan between them.

She smiled, melting at the sight. She closed the door and climbed into bed next to Tony.

Breakfast could wait.


	18. NSFW

**Summary: Tony reads some NSFW fan fic. **

**Genre: T**

* * *

The computer's monitor suddenly turned black and the word NSFW appeared, replacing Tony's reading material with that warning instead.

Tony blinked, hands flying up. The story was just getting juicy! "Friday, what the he—"

"Daddy!"

Tony jumped in his seat, whipping his head around to look at his daughter. "Oh, honey, you scared me!" he said and then murmured, "Thanks, Fri," under his breath because the AI had enacted the Not Safe for Morgan protocol which automatically shielded the four year-old from anything that was inappropriate for her small eyes and ears as soon as she walked in a room containing said material.

"Why you scared?" she asked, climbing up Tony's lap.

"Because I was reading something scary." He was, in fact, reading something erotic but she didn't need to know that.

"Read? I know how to read!" She pointed at the big red letters on the screen and said, "N-S-F-W. See? I know how!"

Tony was caught between a feeling of horror (because NSFW was now part of his four year-old's vocabulary and Pepper was going to kill him) and a feeling of pride (because she _did_ know how to read, never mind that the word she read was an acronym and did not require any sound blending).

In the end, he settled for amused. "Yep, you sure read that right, honey."

Morgan fixed her brown eyes at him and asked, worried, "Is NSFW scary?"

Tony dug this hole himself. Might as well commit. "Uh-huh."

"Then you have to stop reading it, Daddy," she told him seriously. "Or you'll have nightmares."

On the contrary, Tony thought he'd get a good night's sleep after reading _that _story. "As always, you give such great advice. I don't know what I'd do without them. Now, what are you doing up?"

"Mommy said to call you. It's bed time!"

"Right." Tony rose to his feet, hands on Morgan's butt while she locked her legs around his waist. "Speaking of Mommy, let's keep that little word out of your vocabulary today, huh?"

"Okay."

Tony walked up the stairs and passed Pepper who was about to get inside the master bedroom. She paused at the doorway. "There you two are. What took you so long?"

"I was helping daddy read," said Morgan, thankfully leaving out what it was Tony was reading.

"She was!" Tony nodded. "She helped me. Read some letters. Just letters."

Pepper arched a suspicious brow at Tony. He shouldn't have repeated the word 'letters.'

"What were you reading?" Pepper asked.

"Just something scary," Tony answered for Morgan at the same time the little girl said, "NSFW."

Tony flashed Morgan a surprised look. "Morgan! I told you to keep it a secret!"

Morgan put her hand over her mouth and sheepishly said, "Oops." She giggled.

Pepper gave Tony a look, one that told him he was in big trouble and the only thing saving him was having Morgan in his arms. "NSFW, huh? Daddy's right. That _is _scary." Tony sent his wife an apologetic look. It wasn't his fault their kid could read letters!

Pepper dropped the look and smiled at him instead which made Tony uncomfortable because what the hell did that smile mean?

"Tuck her in, please."

Tony nodded curtly. "You got it."

"And let's stick to appropriate bedtime stories tonight."

"Totally."

Tony took his time telling Morgan a story; he was in no hurry to get back to the lecture Pepper undoubtedly had planned for him. But every story had an ending, and when his storytelling was over, he walked back to his own bedroom, already rehearsing the apology in his head.

The light in the bathroom was on, which told him where his wife happened to be. Figuring he might as well get it over with, Tony walked in, finding Pepper sitting in their bathtub, the bath bubbles just beyond her chest. She was holding a glass of wine in one hand and was looking at him.

Tony stood by the doorway, waiting for her to complain about the fact that Morgan was probably going to repeat NSFW at school and what was he thinking letting her even _see _that word, what would the teachers think—

"Are you just gonna stand there," Pepper said, interrupting Tony's train of thought, "or are you gonna join me?"

_That_ was not the lecture Tony expected but he was not going to complain. "The latter. Absolutely." He stripped off his clothes, aware that Pepper's eyes hadn't left him at all. Maybe she had forgotten all about the NSFW slip. Maybe she wanted bath sex now.

After, he stepped inside the tub and sat opposite her, extending his legs beside hers underneath the water.

"Are you going to tell me what you were watching when Morgan called you?" she asked, eyes ruthlessly telling Tony that no, she hadn't forgotten that little detail at all.

"I wasn't watching anything," Tony pointed out. "I was reading."

"Erotic fiction?" Pepper raised a brow. She had known him for almost twenty years and she hadn't pegged him to be a reader. Watcher, yes. Reader, no.

"More like erotic fan fiction," Tony admitted with a sheepish smile.

"What?"

"Erotic fan fiction," Tony repeated, "About us."

Pepper sat her wine down on the side and closed her eyes. "I'm convinced I heard that wrong."

"Nope."

Pepper opened her eyes and asked him a little hesitantly, "There are stories—"

"Fan fiction," Tony corrected her because it was important to specify what kind of stories.

"—fan fiction… about us?"

Tony nodded, grinning. "It's called Pepperony Fan Fiction." Pepperony was an amalgamation of their names and Tony found it adorable.

"Oh, my God," Pepper covered her face with her hands. "Is it as bad and cringey as I think it is?"

Tony thought back to the stories he'd read. "Well, most are inaccurate."

Pepper's hands dropped back down to the water. "Why am I not surprised?"

"But the entertainment factor is spot on. Especially the NSFW ones."

"You enjoy reading them, don't you?"

"Absolutely. Did you know that we apparently do a lot of office sex?" His eyebrows danced and Pepper's jaw dropped.

She kicked him softly, the water sloshing around them. "I would never!" Tony might not respect the work place, but Pepper did. She never allowed more than a kiss in her office.

"There are a lot of stories with us doing it over your table, you giving me a blowjob during a meeting—"

"DURING A MEETING?" Pepper almost shrieked and Tony enjoyed seeing how red in the face she was getting. "How would I even manage that?"

"You hide under the table," Tony explained. He's lost count of how many fan fictions end up with either her or him hiding under a table.

"Oh, my God. That is not only so disrespectful but—"

"—but not totally out of the realm of possibility," Tony gave her a look that said, C_ome on. We should try it. _"You could hold a meeting tomorrow and I could come over and—" He felt her move her leg and he held out his hands to stop her. "Please don't kick me in the crown jewels."

She glared at him half-heartedly. "Then stop entertaining the thought that I would even have sex with you in the office where I happen to have glass walls."

"Done. I'll just move on to the other tropes." Pepper relaxed her leg again and Tony continued, "There are fan fiction where we also do it a lot in the garage."

That one didn't get as much of a reaction from her. "Well, they're not wrong. We did do that once or twice."

"There's another one where we do it while I'm in the suit."

"IN THE SUIT? Do those writers even know how dangerous having sex with you in the suit could be? You could burn me or hit me with your blasters." Not once had she even considered having sex with him in the Iron Man suit. Sure, there were times when she was extremely horny and the suit made him look all the more desirable, but she wasn't going to do it while he was _wearing _the suit!

"Well, to be honest, they're very creative in how they make it happen. Like there is this one story where the suit holds me up and—"

She waved her hands at him to stop. "I don't want to know. God, I can't believe that there are stories out there about us! I feel so violated and embarrassed and—"

Tony rubbed her calf under the water. "Hey, don't get yourself so worked up. Come here."

Pepper sighed but moved to him, sitting on his lap, her back to his chest. Tony hugged her from behind, wrapping his hands around her waist and resting his chin on the space between her neck and shoulder.

"It's not as awful as you think it is."

She snorted. "Of course _you_ would like it."

"Of course I like it! It was frankly about time someone wrote legendary stories about my sexual prowess."

Pepper almost laughed but remembered that out there, a lot of people were thinking about her sex life, writing about her in that intimate, personal way. She wasn't a prude but she also wanted to be taken seriously. What would happen if word got out that there were fictional fan-written sex scandals of her online?

"Easy for you to say. People still take you seriously despite the fact that you have videos on YouTube with your 'crown jewels' on display. But with something as fictional as these stories, I'm gonna be a laughing stock if those ever get out." Why didn't Thanos get rid of sexism instead?

"They won't," Tony promised her.

"How are you so sure?"

"Because only Pepperony fans read those stories and I doubt Chinese investors are going to go digging through the NSFW tag online." Tony squeezed her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "It's not so bad, you know, I think you'd like them."

Pepper doubted that. Reading erotic fiction was nothing, but erotic fiction about herself? That was all kinds of weird. "Tell me one good thing about these fan fiction."

"Well," Tony moved his mouth from her cheek down to her neck, and started to suck on that particularly sensitive spot. Pepper couldn't resist laughing now. Of course he had something like this in mind. "The fanfic writers _did_ give me a couple of ideas."

Pepper hummed. "Did they?"

"Uh-huh. I now have new ways to make you screa—"

"Morgan's asleep." Pepper reminded him. Screaming was absolutely out of the question.

"Satisfied," Tony rephrased. "Let's stick with satisfied."

"As long as we keep it in the bedroom—"

"How about here?"

"Bathroom's good too."


	19. Words of Advice

**A/N: Morgan is two years old in this one.**

**Summary: Five times Tony imparted some words of wisdom to Morgan and the one time Morgan gave him some. **

**Rating: K**

* * *

1.

Somebody once asked Tony, "Who's more difficult to handle, a toddler or a super villain?" Tony barked out a laugh. "Simple. I can handle a super villain _because_ I have a toddler."

And he wasn't kidding.

Tony would wrestle Morgan to leave school every day. She _loved _school, loved the toys, the playground, the children she chased all over the place. She would throw a tantrum every time Tony fetched her and said, "It's time to go home."

Morgan was currently inside her classroom singing and dancing their goodbye song while Tony stood outside, looking through one of the glass windows like the annoying parent he swore he'd never be but became anyway.

"Which one's yours?" asked another dad who was sharing his window.

"The one in the band shirt," said Tony. Morgan could be spotted easily with her messy hair and AC/DC shirt on (it was technically a dress on her small frame) and bright colored socks.

"Cute," said the dad. "Mine's the one beside her."

"Adorable," said Tony because it was proper parent-etiquette to compliment other parents' kids when they compliment yours.

"You're Pepper Potts' husband, right?" the dad said, "I'm a big fan of her work."

Tony nodded, a grin spreading on his face. Wait till Pepper heard Tony was reduced to just being her husband. She'll get a kick out of that.

The Playgroup students were all putting their shoes on now and Tony saw Morgan help out the boy she sat with. The other dad noticed too and turned to Tony, chuckling. "Looks like our kids are best friends."

Tony smiled and moved out of the hallway knowing it was going to be cramped with kids soon. He'd wait for Morgan in the Waiting Area. The other dad followed him out and they both stood, looking for their children among the sea of faces.

Finally, Tony spotted Morgan and she was holding hands with the same boy in the classroom.

"Wow! You made a new friend," said Tony when she got near enough to hear him. He waved at the boy. "What's your name?"

Morgan answered for the boy, saying, "Baby."

Tony laughed and teasingly said, "Baby already? He hasn't even gotten Daddy's permission to ask you out on a date and you're already calling each other 'Baby?""

The other dad laughed and encouraged his son. "He's asking for your name. What's your name?"

The boy said, "Gab," but Morgan shook her head and took his hand again. She corrected him, insisting, "Baby."

Gab frowned at her and said, "Gab. Me Gab." He stuck his face close to Morgan's because two year-olds didn't have a notion of personal space yet and said, "No Baby. Big Gab."

The two dads laughed. Tony bent down to Morgan's level and took her hand. . "Listen, sweetie. I'm gonna give you some advice, alright? Daddy to daughter, if you like someone and you want to give them a nickname, wait until they threaten your guards with pepper spray. Trust me. That stuff will bond you for life."

The other dad gave Tony a weird look and then asked, "Is that how your wife got her name?"

"Yeah," Tony admitted, "She hated it. Anyway," facing Morgan again, he said, "Say goodbye to Gab now because we're going to go home."

Morgan wrenched her hand away from Tony and firmly stated, "No."

There it is, thought Tony. He didn't know why he thought she'd happily go home today when she never did so in the past. "But Mommy's waiting for us."

"No. Morgan play Baby."

The other dad took pity on Tony and decided to help him out, lifting Gab into his arms and saying, "We're going too, Morgan."

"Oh, see that? Your friend's going."

"Say 'Goodbye, Morgan,'" the other dad instructed to his son and Gab echoed his dad's words.

But Morgan stomped her foot and shook her head, whining, "Noooo. Play. Play Morgan." She shot her dad a pleading look, complete with crocodile tears. "Play, please." She took Gab's dad's hand and sent him an equally convincing performance.

Damn it, she looked so cute. If Tony had it his way, he'd let her cry and he'd take photos, but boy would that make headlines. _Heartless Tony Stark Takes Picture of Crying Daughter Instead of Comforting Her._

The dad laughed. "Barking up the wrong dad here, sweetheart."

Tony sighed. "Five minutes." Morgan didn't really have a concept of time yet but Tony read somewhere that you gotta let your kids know you're counting down so they don't get all surprised when you say time's up. "But that's it 'cause we still gotta have lunch with Mommy and she'll blame _me_ if we're late."

The little girl smiled and Gab's dad let him down to play. Morgan waved at him to follow her to the playground. "Come on, Baby! Come on!"

Tony groaned halfheartedly. At least with super villains, Tony could say, "He was trying to kill me" or "He totaled the whole of Broadway. There was really nothing I could do about the traffic, Pep." But with Morgan? Try telling your wife your toddler haggled for five more minutes with her _baby. _

2.

The house was filled with the sounds of Morgan's wails. It's more painful to the ears than tear-inducing or evoking any form of sympathy.

Not that Tony could sympathize after his daughter threw her juice across the table which hit her mother on the head because the latter wouldn't give her chocolate for breakfast.

They relegated her to the corner to sit on her Rest Chair (the chair that requires her to sit and rest whenever she's being naughty or a little _too _hyper) but it was a particularly bad morning so she had slid off the chair and was now on the floor, shrieking and wailing.

Pepper had learned to ignore her cries until their daughter's calmed down enough to listen, but Tony's always had trouble leaving her be.

Of course he wasn't going to let Morgan off the hook because she _knew_ throwing stuff was a no-no and there was the fact that Pepper was now sporting a bruise on her temple, but he also felt like he needed to say something.

So, he lay beside Morgan and she tried to push his body away. Tony didn't budge. "I get it. You're craving chocolates and you're hungry. But chocolates never make for a great breakfast. Dessert maybe and a snack but not breakfast."

Morgan only cried harder.

"I'll tell you what you should've done. You should've eaten your breakfast, said thank you to Mommy for the eggs she made, give her a kiss, and when you've gotten her all buttered up, you could've asked her for the chocolates _then_."

"Daddy goooooo!" Morgan cried, pushing him away again.

"Alright, alright." Tony rose. "You need some alone time. Come find me when you're ready to talk, okay?"

3.

"Daddy and Mommy are going on a date."

Morgan cocked her head at her dad. "Date?"

"Mm hmm. It means some alone time. And you get to go on Happy Time."

Pepper walked in Morgan's room, wearing a floor length gown that reminded Morgan of a princess. Father and daughter turned to look at her.

"Look at Mommy," said Tony. "She looks pretty, huh?"

"Pretty," Morgan repeated, getting up to touch her Mom's dress.

Tony crouched down and said, "Now, you gotta remember this everytime you go on a date."

Pepper laughed. "Tony, please, she's two."

"We gotta teach them young, Pep. Anyway, as I was saying, if you're going on a date, never forget to say how gorgeous your date looks."

"Gorjuss?"

"Yes, gorjuss. It means pretty. Like mommy."

Morgan looked at Tony and then at Pepper. "Mommy gorjuss."

"Thank you, baby."

"Daddy gorjuss."

"Why, yes, I am."

"Dum-E gorjuss."

"Now don't say that too often or it'll get to his head."

4.

Tony wasn't an idiot. He knew he'd clean up poop and urine and puke and other bodily fluids—those things came with job—but he didn't think a tiny baby could make _so much _poop or use up _that much _diapers.

Thankfully, the bodily messes had decreased in number when Morgan hit two, but the household messes increased just as much. Sometimes, there would be mud tracks on the living room (they stopped using a carpet after that one incident), baby powder on the mattresses, toys all over the floor.

And now, looking at the full-length mirror in Morgan's room, lipstick doodles.

Tony sighed. He got some cleaning materials from the cupboard under the sink and brought his daughter in to survey the mess.

The thing with two year-olds was that despite the amount of mess they made, he could still make them clean it up and they'd willingly do it because they thought it was play. But what Tony was actually doing was making Morgan learn practical life skills and clean up her own mess at the same time. And Morgan loved sweeping the floor with her tiny broom and dustpan, and wiping the table after meals.

"Come here, look at that," Tony pointed at the mirror riddled with bright red lines. "First of all, do we draw on mirrors, Morgan?"

Morgan knew she was in trouble and shook her head silently.

"We _look _at the mirror, honey. We look. Now, w_here_ do we draw?"

"Paper," said Morgan quickly.

"That's right. We draw on paper." Tony showed her what was left of the lipstick. "Do we use mommy's lipstick for drawing?"

Morgan didn't reply but looked at the lipstick like she was thinking of drawing some more.

"No, we don't. Lipstick goes on the lips, honey."

Morgan took the lipstick. "Lips?"

"Yes. What—oh, my God, Morgan." Tony stared as Morgan put the lipstick all over her face.

"Lips, sweetie! Daddy said lips. Where are your lips?" Morgan pointed at her mouth. "There. Okay. Come here." Tony got some wipes and wiped the lipstick off her face. Then, he tipped her chin up. "Now make an O with your mouth. Like this. Follow Daddy. Good girl." After he put lipstick on his daughter, which wasn't bad for a first attempt, she looked at the mirror to see her reflection.

"You can't see yourself because you drew all over the mirror." He showed her the cleaning rag and the spray bottle. He spritzed at the mirror. Morgan lit up at it.

As Tony showed her how to wipe the mirror, he said, "Now, Daddy's not angry that you made a mess. It's fine when those happen because sometimes we can't help it. But remember, always clean up the mess, alright?"

"Right." She repeated, opening and closing her hands in that way that said _gimme. _Tony handed her the tools. "Go wild."

Tony left her to it and when he returned a few minutes later, he caught Morgan right in the act; she had cleaned up the mirror, great, but apparently she needed more stuff to wipe because she scribbled on her wall, sprayed some water on her work, and then wiped it with the rag.

Okay, Tony thought, immediately regretting what he told her. Maybe he should have said that _deliberate_ messes were _not _okay.

5.

They pulled up at a theater parking lot and Tony parked the car and killed the ignition.

Morgan was in her booster seat, already trying to push the release button but couldn't do it hard enough.

Pepper unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to go out of the car but Tony said, "Hold on, hold on. We gotta have a few words with this one about theater etiquette."

"Right," said Pepper, because Morgan had a habit of speaking while watching a movie and that could be annoying for some theater goers. It was one of the reasons they chose to watch The Incredibles 3 on its last week.

Tony leaned over his chair and gave Morgan his best serious look. "When we're watching the movie, we _listen _okay. We don't talk. Got it?"

"Got it." Pepper doubted she got it and just repeated the last words she heard. She sat back and continued to watch the scene unfold wondering where this was going to go.

Tony reached for the bag under his seat. He opened it and pulled out a Snickers bar, Morgan's The Incredibles water jug which contained soda (for Tony), and a large bag of chips.

"You know they sell those inside, right?" said Pepper.

"I'm getting there. This is going to be a teaching moment." Tony waved the candy at Morgan. "Now, Daddy brought your favorite snacks because if we buy them inside the cinema, they cost _a lot."_

"Seriously?" said a disbelieving Pepper. "You're a billionaire."

"It's about fighting capitalism, Potts."

"That is the most ridiculous—"

"Anyway, we have to sneak these in the cinema." Morgan's eyes were wide and she looked like she hung on her dad's every word. "Word for the day: sneak. It means to hide something, to keep something secret, alright? Now, take the Snickers."

Morgan took it carefully like it was some kind of blessed food.

"Hide it under your shirt."

"Oh, for goodness sake"

Tony ignored his wife. This was serious stuff. He couldn't get distracted. These were probably the most important words of wisdom he could ever give their daughter. "Don't let them catch you, okay?"

"'Kay."

"Gotta hide that real good, alright?"

"Right."

"Now, I'm gonna put your jug in your bag and they'll think it's your milk but it's not. It's soda for me. You got your real milk inside your Princess jug."

Morgan nodded.

"And I'm giving this bag of chips to Mommy who'll put it under _her _shirt and she'll pretend she's pregnant—"

"I'm not doing that."

"Mom!" said Tony.

"Mom!" repeated Morgan.

Pepper sighed and grabbed the chips, shoving it under her blouse.

"Don't look so guilty, Mommy. You look like you're gonna snitch on us." Morgan looked between her dad and her mom.

"I'm gonna go get us the tickets," said Pepper, shaking her head. Once she was outside, she pulled out the bag from her blouse.

But Morgan didn't see. She was focused solely on her dad who asked her, "You ready? This is your first real mission as a superhero."

Morgan licked her lips, steeled her expression as hard as a two year old could. "Ready."

They made for the theater.

Tony held Morgan's hand while Morgan pressed the snickers bar to her stomach so that it wouldn't fall out.

As they walked, Tony said, "You know there's this one guy who put the Snickers in his daughter's shoes so she could reach the height limit in the roller coaster ride at Disneyland. Yeah! Not cool, right?"

+1

Morgan was seated on her Rest Chair but not for the reasons you might think. Beside her was a bigger chair and her dad was on it.

He was going on and on about the recent fight he had with her mom which had ended up with him sitting on the corner like he was on Time-Out.

Morgan had sat with him for company and Tony was grateful for someone to talk to even if it was a two year-old that was eating a block of cheese while he told her his problems.

"I did what she asked! I don't understand why she's mad it didn't turn out the way she wanted. She asked me to charm the Chinese, build up the _guanxi_, it's not my fault they still hate me for that one time I—"

Tony stopped.

Morgan had put her cheese-riddled hand over his mouth.

"I should stop talking, huh?" he said against her palm.

"Sorry," she giggled, pulling her hand back and licking the cheese off it.

Tony nodded, folding his arms over his chest as he pondered the matter further. "Right. Apologize to Mommy before she makes me sleep in the garage. Anything else I should do?"

Morgan puckered her lips at him and pressed it to his arm.

Tony smiled. "I'm gonna kiss Mommy too, for sure. But that only works _after _the apology. I can't kiss her _as _an apology. She's gonna get even more mad."

Morgan sighed and stood, leaving Tony in his corner.

"Hey, where you going?" Tony went after her. "I thought we were having a moment. Are you mad at me too?"


End file.
